
Surf Forecasts:
Sawtell-The Island surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 2,671 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period with E 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 19s. Another secondary swell of 1.8m and 7s is also forecast. 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 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sawtell-The Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good long look at what’s coming down the line for Sawtell-The Island. It’s a bit of a mixed bag to start, but there’s some real gold waiting for us if we’re patient.
The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th are tiny, with swell barely pushing 1 ft, so the board stays in the car. The water temp is sitting right on 68°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We finally see some life on Thursday the 16th, but it’s a messy 8 ft of SSE swell with a short period of 8 seconds and a bunch of cross-shore wind. The combined energy is moderate (714), but it’s not worth getting excited about. Friday and Saturday the 18th are similar—plenty of swell (5 ft to 8 ft) but the wind is kicking up a cross-chop, making it ugly. The energy jumps up to moderate and strong levels (863), but the quality just isn’t there.
Now, Sunday the 19th is where it gets interesting, but only for the experienced crew. We’ve got a solid 10 ft ESE groundswell rolling in, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is massive (2357), but the wind is a clean cross-offshore. This is a big, powerful swell, and at this size, it’s for experts only. The break is exposed and fairly consistent, but if you’re not comfortable in overhead-plus waves, sit this one out.
The real standout, the one you’re waiting for, is Saturday the 25th. The weather is clear, and the wind goes glassy in the morning with a WSW breeze of just 3 mph. That’s as clean as it gets. We’re looking at a solid 7 ft ESE groundswell with a very long period of 12 seconds, pumping in with strong energy (1182). This is a long-period groundswell, so it’ll be lined up and powerful, and at The Island, that usually means some proper waves. It’s going to be busy though—crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early. For the experienced surfer, this is your session.
The week following that stays pretty good, with Sunday the 26th offering clean 6 ft ESE swell and super light winds, and Monday the 27th bringing glassy conditions again, though the swell drops to 5 ft. The energy stays moderate (916 down to 601). By Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th, the swell fades to a more manageable 3 ft to 4 ft, but with clean offshore winds, it’ll be a fun, smaller wave option for a cruise.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 8 | S 7 | E 10 | S 16 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 450 | 953 | 714 | 465 | 428 | 365 | 279 | 273 | 308 | 824 | 1555 | 2292 | 2216 | 1588 | 1478 | 961 | 802 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 8:06PM1.88m | 8:36AM1.12m | 8:55PM1.88m | 9:26AM1.15m | 9:42PM1.82m | 10:15AM1.17m | 10:27PM1.70m | 11:05AM1.19m | 11:11PM1.54m | 11:56AM1.21m | 11:54PM1.36m | 12:49PM1.22m | 00:40AM1.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:24PM0.03m | 2:53AM-0.03m | 2:15PM0.02m | 3:39AM-0.04m | 3:06PM0.05m | 4:23AM-0.02m | 3:56PM0.11m | 5:05AM0.02m | 4:47PM0.21m | 5:45AM0.08m | 5:42PM0.32m | 6:25AM0.15m | 6:42PM0.43m | ||||||||
6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SSE 4 | S 6 | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | S 18 | S 17 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | S 21 | E 10 | S 19 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 279 | 273 | 308 | 35 | 1555 | 65 | 1798 | 1588 | 1086 | 961 | 802 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | S 7 | SSE 8 | S 11 | E 10 | — | — | N 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | S 18 | NE 8 | S 22 | S 15 | S 19 | — | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 |
5 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 7 | — | 31 | 28 | 20 | 34 | 29 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SE 7 | E 10 | S 16 | — | — | — | — | NE 10 | S 12 | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | S 17 | S 16 | — | S 16 | S 16 |
5 | 2 | 8 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | — | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 4 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SSE 7 | E 10 | — | — |
— | — | — | 44 | 450 | 953 | 714 | 465 | 428 | 365 | 63 | 170 | 226 | 824 | 298 | 2292 | 2216 | 255 | 1478 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 122 | 143 | 122 | 16 | 209 | 16 | 30 | 75 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 249 | 382 | 495 | 75 | 422 | 406 | 30 | 16 | 75 | 16 |
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










