
Surf Forecasts:
Sawtell-The Island surf forecast from 10 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 11s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s period, SE swell with 731 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 11s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Sawtell-The Island this week:
The surf forecast for Sawtell-The Island over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Sawtell-The Island in the next 16 days are 1.8m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sawtell-The Island over the next 16 days.
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what’s coming for Sawtell – The Island (Sawtell). The setup is an exposed reef/point that loves a south-east swell, and we’ve got a decent run of waves through the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at 68°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing weird going on with the temp.
The first session worth getting excited about is Friday morning, July 10th. There’s a solid 6 ft SE swell, with a period of 10 seconds, so it’s got some proper energy behind it (784 combined energy). The wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph, which should keep it pretty clean. The water’s a touch cooler than average, but nothing wild. This is a good one for advanced surfers – the swell’s pushing 6 ft, so it’s not for beginners, but the quality is there. The break is fairly consistent, though it can get a crowd sometimes, so get in early.
After that, the surf drops off pretty quick. Saturday morning, July 11th, is a standout for the smooth conditions: glassy, with a NNW breeze at only 3 mph, and a 4 ft SE swell. It’s a smaller day, but that glassy surface will make it a joy to be out there. The energy is moderate (483). The crowd could still be about, but if you’re after a clean, fun session, this is it.
Saturday afternoon sees a shift to a 5 ft ESE swell, but the wind turns cross-on from the NNE, so it’s not as clean. The period is 11 seconds, which is solid, but the wind is a bit of a buzzkill.
Sunday, July 12th is a nice little end to the weekend. Morning has a 3 ft ESE swell with a cross-off WNW breeze, and by afternoon it goes glassy with a SW wind. The swell is small (3 ft), but the glassy conditions make it very user-friendly. Combined energy is only around 203-205, so it’s all about the clean surface.
Then we hit a dry spell. From Monday, July 13th through to Friday, July 17th, the surf is small or messy, with a lot of poor conditions, strong winds, and short period energy. There’s a window on Thursday, July 16th where the swell jumps to 7-8 ft, but it’s coming with 16-19 mph winds and rain, so it’s not clean – more of a challenge than a pleasure. The combined energy creeps up to 572 by Thursday afternoon, but the wind is cross-off and strong, so it’s a messy, blown-out affair.
The real standout is Saturday, July 18th. That morning, you’ve got a 7 ft ESE swell, with a 10-second period, and a light SSW cross-off wind at 6 mph. The combined energy is a strong 1072, so there’s a lot of power in the water. This is an excellent session for experienced surfers, and the wind is light enough to keep it relatively clean. The break is fairly consistent, and the crowds might be around, but it’s worth the paddle. The swell direction is right on the optimum for The Island, so it’ll be lining up nicely. This is the best of the whole outlook.
Sunday, July 19th morning is still very good – a 6 ft E swell with a 10-second period, and a clean offshore WSW wind at 3 mph. The energy is moderate (586), and the conditions are glassy. It’s a good follow-up session.
After that, the surf slowly fades through the rest of the week. Tuesday, July 21st morning has a 4 ft E swell with a cross-off W wind, but by then the energy is dropping (236). The last half of the window, from July 22nd onward, is mostly small, weak, and not worth getting excited about, with combined energy under 100 most days.
So, to wrap it up: the best bets are Friday morning, July 10th for the solid 6 ft swell and clean conditions, and Saturday morning, July 11th for that glassy, smooth session. The absolute standout is Saturday, July 18th – that 7 ft of clean, powerful swell is the one to circle on the calendar. Long-range, it’s promising but not certain, so keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the S by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 7 | E 10 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
626 | 731 | 530 | 257 | 527 | 320 | 200 | 157 | 81 | 42 | 29 | 24 | 6 | 24 | 8 | 89 | 230 | 468 | 444 | 569 | 396 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:26PM1.48m | 4:38AM1.02m | 5:25PM1.62m | 5:46AM1.02m | 6:21PM1.74m | 6:48AM1.05m | 7:15PM1.83m | 7:44AM1.08m | 8:06PM1.88m | 8:36AM1.12m | 8:55PM1.88m | 9:26AM1.15m | 9:42PM1.82m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:05PM0.31m | 10:34AM0.15m | 00:12AM0.20m | 11:33AM0.12m | 1:11AM0.09m | 12:30PM0.07m | 2:04AM0.01m | 1:24PM0.03m | 2:53AM-0.03m | 2:15PM0.02m | 3:39AM-0.04m | 3:06PM0.05m | |||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 4 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 11 | E 10 | S 19 | NE 10 | — | NE 9 |
626 | 731 | 530 | 257 | 527 | 320 | 200 | 157 | 81 | 42 | 29 | 24 | 3 | 24 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 4 | — | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | S 19 | ESE 15 | ESE 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | — | SSE 8 | N 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 8 | E 10 | SSE 4 | E 9 | N 10 | — | NE 10 | NE 9 | E 7 |
158 | 7 | 21 | 220 | 158 | 86 | — | 40 | 1 | 28 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 21 | S 18 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | N 5 | N 5 | E 11 | E 10 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 10 | N 10 | — | — | — | — | NE 9 |
— | — | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | NW 2 | NNW 3 | SW 3 | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
45 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 89 | 230 | 468 | 444 | 569 | 396 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 30 | 143 | 143 | 75 | 16 | 75 | 16 | 16 | 75 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Sawtell-The Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Sawtell-The Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Sawtell-The Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Sawtell-The Island surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Sawtell-The Island) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Sawtell-The Island may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Port Macquarie? If you are looking for accommodation near Sawtell-The Island, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Port Macquarie, consider staying in Coffs Harbour which is 9 km (6 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in South Grafton which is 62 km (39 miles) away










