The Cliff Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Newcastle, Australia)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

The Cliff Surf Guide

The Cliff in Newcastle is an exposed sandbar break that is usually a safe bet. The best wind direction is from the northwest. Groundswells and windswells are equally likely and the best swell direction is from the southeast. The sandbar breaks are all lefts. An uncrowded break, even when it is working. Beware of - Urchins - Rips / undertow - Rocks - Localism - Sharks.

The Cliff Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Sandbar	2	very consistent	22.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing The Cliff:

The best conditions reported for surf at The Cliff occur when a Southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf The Cliff (for consistent clean waves)?

julyBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing The Cliff with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of July. Clean surfable waves are typically found 42% of the time in July while 37% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 21% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

42%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

37%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

21%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore The Cliff Location Map

Interactive The Cliff surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

The Cliff Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 00:01 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	1AM	4AM	7AM	10AM
Wave (m)	E	E	E	E
Period (s)	10	11	11	11
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	off	off	cross- off	cross- off

What does The Cliff look like?

Latest photos from The Cliff. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: DANIEL MAWKES

Tides at The Cliff

Current tide and informaton

For Newcastle, Australia, 1 km from The Cliff.

Next High Water: 10:38am | 1.2m

Next Low Water: 04:46am | 0.43m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

The Cliff Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 21.0 °C once we account for wind), and similar sea temperatures (22.7 °C). Wear boardshorts or a shorty, or better still a thin summer wetsuit to keep the UV off.

Today, many surfers would wear a shorty.

Current Temp*: 22.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite