Surf Forecasts:
The Pass surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 12s period, SSE swell with 248 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Pass in the next 16 days are 0.9m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Pass over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
The 16-day window starts off pretty flat and ordinary, with a long stretch of small, mostly onshore wind-battered surf. We’ve got a gap of nearly a week where nothing really works, but then the second week brings a serious pulse of energy that’s worth waiting for. The standout is definitely the big swell arriving mid-September, but it’s for experienced surfers only.
The water temperature at The Pass is sitting at 69°, which is about normal for this time of year—nothing unusual there.
The first real chance for a surf comes Monday afternoon, 31 August. The swell is a modest 4 ft from the SSE, period is short at 8 seconds, and the combined energy is weak (309). The wind is offshore from the SSE, so it’s glassy and clean—good for a paddle but not much push behind it. The Pass is a consistent point break, so it’ll be rideable, but don’t expect much power.
Tuesday morning, 1 September, cleans up nicely with a 3 ft SSE swell, longer 11-second period, and light cross-offshore wind. The energy is still moderate (322), but the conditions are clean and it’s a mellow, fun session for beginners. Afternoon turns cross-onshore and choppy though, so get it early.
Then we hit a dry spell. From Wednesday, 2 September, all the way through to Saturday, 5 September, the wind is mostly cross-onshore, the swell is tiny (2 ft to 3 ft), and the energy drops to weak (down to 77). Sunday, 6 September, has a brief window of clean conditions with a 3 ft NNE swell, but it’s ordinary and small. The pattern stays poor through Monday and Tuesday of the following week—lots of fresh cross-onshore wind, lumpy and choppy, with weak energy. Not worth paddling out.
Now, that changes on Thursday, 10 September. This is the big one. A solid 13 ft SSE swell rolls in, with a 12-second period and very strong energy (4286). The wind is offshore from the SSE, so it’s clean and powerful. But this is expert territory only—13 ft is not for the faint of heart. The Pass is a point break, so it’ll handle the long-period groundswell well, but it’s a serious session. Friday, 11 September, keeps the size around 13 ft to 15 ft from the SE, still strong energy (4100), and offshore wind again. The afternoon looks excellent for experienced surfers. Saturday, 12 September, drops slightly to 10 ft–12 ft, still solid, with light offshore winds and clean conditions. Sunday, 13 September, eases to 6 ft, and conditions stay clean—this is the best window for a wider range of surfers, with moderate energy (543) and a light breeze.
The tail end of the forecast, Monday and Tuesday, 14–15 September, has the swell dropping to 4 ft–5 ft, with offshore winds but the energy is weak to moderate (207 down to 165). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.
So, the standout is clear: Thursday, 10 September through Saturday, 12 September. That’s the big SSE groundswell with clean offshore winds, offering powerful, well-shaped waves at The Pass. But it’s for experts only. For everyone else, Sunday, 13 September is the pick—smaller, clean, and more manageable.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 18°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | N 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 12 | N 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
190 | 134 | 167 | 117 | 68 | 70 | 48 | 45 | 53 | 60 | 45 | 35 | 39 | 248 | 117 | 164 | 116 | 47 | 36 | 33 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:49PM1.47m | 10:23AM1.40m | 10:29PM1.32m | 11:12AM1.39m | 11:15PM1.16m | 12:11PM1.38m | 00:16AM1.01m | 1:25PM1.38m | 1:39AM0.89m | 2:48PM1.42m | 3:16AM0.87m | 4:05PM1.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:09AM0.07m | 4:29PM0.24m | 4:45AM0.13m | 5:26PM0.34m | 5:27AM0.20m | 6:40PM0.42m | 6:22AM0.27m | 8:17PM0.45m | 7:35AM0.32m | 9:55PM0.40m | 9:00AM0.30m | 11:06PM0.29m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | |
5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 17 | SSE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | NNE 5 | S 10 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | S 7 | SSE 12 | NNE 5 | S 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 |
94 | 134 | 167 | 117 | 68 | 116 | 85 | 58 | 27 | 53 | 45 | 35 | 59 | 248 | 46 | 41 | 72 | 47 | 36 | 24 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | SSE 15 | E 10 | ENE 10 | S 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | S 11 | ENE 9 | S 10 | SSE 10 | E 10 | NNE 5 | S 10 | SSE 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 13 |
22 | 91 | 73 | 102 | 65 | 70 | 48 | 45 | 58 | 29 | 53 | 35 | 28 | 17 | 96 | 29 | 50 | 25 | 23 | 87 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | NE 4 | NNE 4 | NE 11 | NE 11 | E 9 | NE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
3 | 36 | 82 | 84 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 45 | 4 | 28 | 29 | 21 | 27 | 27 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 30 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | — | — | ENE 5 | NNW 3 | N 4 | NNE 4 | N 5 | N 5 | NNE 5 | — | ESE 4 | NE 6 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | — | — | NNE 5 |
190 | — | — | 9 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 21 | 53 | 60 | — | 5 | 39 | 25 | 117 | 164 | 116 | — | — | 33 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 1 | 1 | 193 | 13 | 6 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 161 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 15 |
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.











