Surf Forecasts:
The Pass surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, SSE swell with 718 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. 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 1.6m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 9s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Pass over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, this is Rusty.
We’re looking at a bit of a mixed bag over the next 16 days for The Pass. The start is quiet, but there’s a real standout window of quality surf coming that’s got my attention.
The first usable waves show up on Friday 28 August morning, but it’s ordinary. Small 0.4m SE swell with 15-second period, cross-off wind, and pretty weak energy (101). Not worth rushing for. The afternoon on the 28th is where it first gets interesting – the swell jumps to 1.6m from the SSE at 12 seconds, energy bumps up to moderate (760), and wind is offshore and clean. That’s a solid afternoon surf.
Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August have surfable waves in the 1.0–1.9m range, but the wind is cross-off and moderate, and the conditions are described as marginal due to tide or quality. You might find something, but it’s not the best of the run.
Monday 31 August is similar – 1.8m in the morning dropping to 1.5m in the afternoon, but short period (8 to 7 seconds) keeps the energy messy (562 to 322). Best to wait.
Tuesday 1 September is a nice little window. Morning has 1.1m from the SSE with an 11-second period, light cross-off breeze, clean, and energy at 438. Good conditions for a beginner-friendly wave. The Pass is consistent and fairly exposed to the swell, so it’s lining up.
Then we hit a lull. From Wednesday 2 September through Saturday 5 September, it’s poor – small swell, cross-on or onshore winds, choppy. Not worth paddling out. A few tiny pulses around 1.0m but with 5-second windswell – that’s kite-surfing territory, not a proper surf.
Sunday 6 September morning has a tiny 0.4m SE swell (12-second period) but it’s clean, though the afternoon gets messy again. Still not the main event.
The standout is Monday 7 September. That morning you’ve got 2.5m from the SSE at 11 seconds, clean cross-off wind, and the combined energy is a thumping 1455 – strong, powerful. Afternoon is 2.4m with 1340 energy and still cross-off. This is proper long-period groundswell for the point. The Pass handles that direction beautifully (optimum is ENE, and the SSE is close enough for the point setup). This is the call for experienced surfers – it’s too big for beginners at over 2.5m. Crowds are often an issue here, but for a session this clean, it’ll be busy but worth the paddle out. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.
Tuesday 8 September still has good surf – 1.6m in the morning, 1.4m in the afternoon, both with 11-second period and light cross-off wind. Clean, consistent, energy in the 424–578 range. A solid fallback.
From Wednesday 9 September onward, the swell drops away. Small waves, short periods, nothing special. The last few days are mostly poor surf with weak energy (under 130) and messy winds.
So, the real standout is Monday 7 September – that’s an expert-level, clean, powerful day at The Pass. Get on it if you can.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SE 15 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
306 | 56 | 718 | 515 | 320 | 218 | 448 | 579 | 442 | 186 | 470 | 181 | 206 | 265 | 214 | 173 | 158 | 121 | 48 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 7:52AM1.21m | 8:08PM1.69m | 8:27AM1.28m | 8:40PM1.65m | 9:03AM1.34m | 9:13PM1.58m | 9:41AM1.38m | 9:49PM1.47m | 10:23AM1.40m | 10:29PM1.32m | 11:12AM1.39m | 11:15PM1.16m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:07AM0.10m | 1:42PM0.07m | 2:36AM0.05m | 2:20PM0.07m | 3:06AM0.03m | 2:59PM0.10m | 3:36AM0.04m | 3:41PM0.16m | 4:09AM0.07m | 4:29PM0.24m | 4:45AM0.13m | 5:26PM0.34m | |||||||
— | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | SSE 10 | E 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 |
306 | 304 | 718 | 515 | 320 | 218 | 36 | 37 | 43 | 75 | 24 | 136 | 206 | 265 | 214 | 173 | 158 | 121 | 56 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | N 10 | N 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 4 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
71 | 45 | 37 | 55 | 59 | 55 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 41 | 61 | 119 | 157 | 74 | 71 | 16 | 68 | 67 | 48 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | SE 15 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 7 | — | E 15 | NE 15 | S 9 | NE 14 | E 8 | ENE 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | E 10 | ENE 4 | NE 11 | NE 11 |
24 | 56 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | 4 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 38 | 99 | 47 | 70 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 3 | NE 4 | N 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | 48 | 448 | 579 | 442 | 186 | 470 | 181 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 28 | 33 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 53 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 229 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











