Surf Forecasts:
Sawtell-The Island surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, SE swell with 706 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period with ENE 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. 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 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) 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 1.1m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sawtell-The Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Sawtell – The Island. This is an advanced spot, and we’ve got a few sessions that’ll get the heart pumping.
We start easy on Tuesday, August 11th with small, weak 2ft ENE swell, period 8 seconds, and only 92 (weak energy). A light offshore keeps it clean, but it’s nothing special. Wednesday morning, August 12th, flips the script – glassy calm, 3ft SSE groundswell at 11 seconds (219 – moderate energy). That’s the kind of session you live for, clean and long-period. Hit it early because the afternoon gets messy.
Thursday morning, August 13th, we get 3ft SSE, 8 seconds, with a cross-off breeze (173 – moderate). Surfable and clean, but still a wait-and-see. Friday morning, August 14th, is the real standout: 6ft S swell, 9 seconds, pumping 712 (strong energy). Light offshore wind means clean, powerful waves – the best of the first week by a long shot.
The weekend turns rough. Saturday morning, August 15th, has 5ft SSE, short 7-second period (274 – moderate), with a stronger breeze making it marginal. Saturday afternoon jumps to 6ft and 426 (moderate), but conditions are poor. Sunday, August 16th, drops to 5ft (227) in the morning, then 3ft and messy.
Into the second week, Monday August 17th morning shows 4ft ESE, 7 seconds (246 – moderate), clean with a light offshore – decent. Afternoon jumps to 8ft SE, 8 seconds (709 – strong energy), but cross-wind chop means it’s for experts only. Tuesday, August 18th keeps getting bigger: 8ft then 8ft SE, 8-9 seconds, hitting 1843 (very strong energy) by afternoon. Big, raw, and rough – only for the brave. Wednesday and Thursday, August 19th-20th, settle to 6-6ft ESE, 8 seconds (432-771 – moderate to strong), with clean mornings giving you a window.
Friday, August 21st, drops to 5ft E, 8 seconds (323 – moderate), with a light cross-off – nice and cruisy. Saturday, August 22nd, hangs around 4ft E, 9 seconds (298), but the onshore wind kills it. Sunday, August 23rd, is onshore NE, same 4ft, 10 seconds (292) – still marginal.
The last good window is Wednesday, August 26th: glassy calm, 4ft SSE, 8 seconds (395 – moderate). A clean, quiet finish.
Standout sessions: Wednesday morning, August 12th for glassy perfection, and Friday morning, August 14th for the biggest clean swell. Monday morning, August 17th and the glassy Wednesday, August 26th are solid back-ups.
Water temp is pretty normal for this time of year. Crowds at The Island can show up sometimes, but with these windows, you’ll find peace.
That’s the full story.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 103 | 75 | 58 | 71 | 158 | 117 | 67 | 130 | 277 | 378 | 449 | 179 | 106 | 215 | 334 | 88 | 175 | 65 | 73 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 6:42AM1.06m | 7:03PM1.79m | 7:32AM1.14m | 7:50PM1.83m | 8:19AM1.21m | 8:34PM1.80m | 9:03AM1.28m | 9:16PM1.71m | 9:47AM1.32m | 9:56PM1.57m | 10:29AM1.34m | 10:34PM1.41m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:01AM0.08m | 12:23PM0.09m | 1:48AM0.01m | 1:15PM0.04m | 2:30AM-0.04m | 2:04PM0.02m | 3:09AM-0.05m | 2:52PM0.04m | 3:45AM-0.02m | 3:38PM0.11m | 4:20AM0.03m | 4:25PM0.20m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | |  | | |
 | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
Temp °C | 16 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | E 9 | SE 7 | E 9 | E 8 | SE 7 | E 10 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 103 | 75 | 58 | 71 | 158 | 117 | 64 | 130 | 41 | 231 | 237 | 26 | 106 | 24 | 23 | 88 | 16 | 56 | 73 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 10 | E 9 | S 21 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 9 | E 9 | SSE 19 | S 19 | E 9 | S 19 | E 9 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | 79 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 61 | 61 | 67 | 43 | 8 | 27 | 26 | 3 | 26 | 35 | 62 | 15 | 7 | 27 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | SSW 9 | S 6 | SSE 13 | NNE 7 | N 11 | N 11 | NNE 6 | S 20 | — | N 9 | S 19 | SE 20 | — | S 19 | S 15 | S 13 | S 18 | E 10 |
| kJ | 3 | 15 | 1 | 55 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | — | 2 | 7 | 15 | — | 7 | 4 | 29 | 25 | 16 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | NW 3 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | SW 2 | — | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSW 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 6 | SSE 7 | S 6 | S 6 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 277 | 378 | 449 | 179 | 37 | 215 | 334 | 77 | 175 | 65 | 26 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 229 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 2 | 75 | 75 | 2 | 75 | 30 | 23 |
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
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