Surf Forecasts:
The Pass surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 23 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 4,030 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Pass this week:
The surf forecast for The Pass over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Pass in the next 16 days are 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 11s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Wed 23rd Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Pass over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break it down. The Pass has been a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s one clear day to get excited about, and a lot of flat or messy days around it.
Right now, we’re in a lull. Wednesday the 16th is basically nothing—0.5m of NE windswell at 6 seconds. The energy reading is a weak 26, so you’re not missing anything. Thursday the 17th brings a big bump—3.5m from the SSE at 10 seconds, energy up to 2536—but the wind is cross-off and fresh, and the forecast is “marginal.” It’s big, but it’s messy. Not the day for the faint-hearted.
Friday the 18th is cleaner. Swell drops to 1.8m, still SSE, and the morning has a light cross-off. Energy is 581. It’s better, but still not amazing. The afternoon is similar, with a light ENE breeze.
Then we hit a dead spell. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th are flat—0.4m and 0.2m, with energy down to 21. Not worth suiting up. Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd are still weak, with waves under 1m. Poor conditions overall.
Here’s the standout: Wednesday the 23rd. We get 2.0m from the SSE at 8 seconds, with a gentle offshore wind and “very good surf conditions.” Energy is 676. This is the best day in the whole 16-day window. The Pass will be working, with clean faces and some push. The afternoon builds to 2.3m, but it gets a bit more cross-off and the forecast drops to “marginal.” So get out there early.
After that, it’s a slow fade. Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th have some clean, small waves—1.3m to 1.6m—with offshore winds, but the energy is weak. It’s surfable, but not memorable. Sunday the 27th is a bit better, with 1.9m from the ENE, but the period is short, so it’ll be a bit lumpy.
From the 28th onward, it’s all poor quality. The swell is there—1.5m to 2.1m—but the wind is cross-on or cross-shore, choppy, and the comments are all “poor” or “marginal.” Not worth the paddle.
As for the break itself: The Pass is consistent, but it’s also often crowded. On the 23rd, expect a crowd because that’s the clear winner. The rest of the time, it’s a gamble.
Water temp is 20.8°, which is about average for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.
So, mark your calendar for the 23rd. That’s the one. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or just not happening. The long-range stuff after the 27th? I wouldn’t count on it.
Stay sharp out there.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Wed night, light winds from the NW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SE 8 | SSE 17 | SSE 19 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 16 | 1282 | 4030 | 2529 | 1810 | 1172 | 573 | 435 | 145 | 149 | 95 | 81 | 20 | 29 | 212 | 254 | 117 | 45 | 66 | 150 | 215 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 11:03AM1.36m | 10:58PM1.00m | 11:54AM1.29m | 11:46PM0.89m | 12:58PM1.22m | 1:01AM0.81m | 2:17PM1.20m | 2:42AM0.79m | 3:31PM1.25m | 4:02AM0.85m | 4:28PM1.33m | 4:55AM0.93m | 5:12PM1.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:24PM0.43m | 4:59AM0.30m | 6:26PM0.52m | 5:44AM0.39m | 7:51PM0.57m | 6:49AM0.45m | 9:27PM0.54m | 8:16AM0.47m | 10:34PM0.47m | 9:34AM0.43m | 11:17PM0.37m | 10:32AM0.36m | 11:52PM0.28m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:43 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 8 |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | E 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 16 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1172 | 573 | 435 | 145 | 179 | 133 | 83 | 112 | 110 | 114 | 254 | 117 | 35 | 30 | 150 | 106 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | S 17 | — | — | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | S 19 | S 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 19 | S 9 | S 8 | S 12 | S 11 | NNE 5 | SSE 17 |
| kJ | 4 | 6 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 164 | 149 | 78 | 51 | 20 | 20 | 212 | 56 | 21 | 99 | 82 | 8 | 55 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 12 | — | — | — | — | NE 16 | N 16 | NE 12 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | N 4 | SSE 17 | ESE 8 | N 4 | SSE 11 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | E 8 | N 4 |
| kJ | 6 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 5 | 6 | 62 | 55 | 95 | 81 | 1 | 29 | 6 | 9 | 40 | 45 | 66 | 1 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | — | — | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | NNE 3 | — | — | NNE 3 | N 4 | N 4 | NNE 4 | — | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 539 | 1282 | 4030 | 2529 | 1810 | 1402 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 15 | 18 | 19 | — | 16 | 38 | 215 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 256 | 1331 | 97 | 2 | 274 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 274 | 1 | 1 | 588 | 37 | 1 | 215 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Pass Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Pass provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Pass can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Pass 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 (The Pass) 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 The Pass 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.
The Pass is 26 km (16 miles) from Ballina. If you plan a holiday in North Coast - New South Wales, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ballina. Ballina has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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