Surf Forecasts:
The Pass surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period, SSE swell with 288 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 12s 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 24) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. 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 1.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Pass over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu for the Pass over the next couple of weeks.
It's a slow start, but there's some decent windows opening up, especially if you're patient. The overall pattern is a bit of a mixed bag, with the first few days offering only small, ordinary waves, but things start to build into a strong run of clean, consistent surf from the end of the month right through the first week of September. The standout window is definitely the last few days of August and the first couple of days of September, with building swell and excellent conditions.
Monday morning, the 24th, we're looking at small 1.6ft (135 energy) waves from the SSE with a light cross-off breeze. It's clean, but you'll be working for those little runners. The afternoon picks up a touch to 2.6ft (128 energy) from the ENE, but it's still very ordinary. The next couple of days are a write-off, honestly. Tuesday and Wednesday are plagued by poor conditions, cross-onshore winds, and choppy water, with a bit of a bump in energy on Tuesday afternoon to 4.3ft (220 energy), but it's not worth the paddle out.
We get a bit of a reprieve on Thursday the 27th afternoon. The wind swings offshore from the SSE, and we get a clean 4.3ft (234 energy) with an 8-second period from the ENE. It's surfable, but nothing special. Friday and Saturday stay in that same boat—small, clean, but very ordinary. The combined energy sits around the 130 to 197 mark, so it's weak to moderate.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Sunday the 30th afternoon, we see a jump. The swell builds to 5.2ft (356 energy) from the ESE with a short 6-second period, but it's backed by a moderate offshore wind from the SE, keeping it clean. That's a solid session. Monday the 31st is even better, with 5.6ft (356 energy) and offshore winds again, and the afternoon picks up a few rain showers, but it's still good. That run of good surf continues into Tuesday the 1st of September, with 5.6ft (387 energy) and clean conditions, and the afternoon is a sweet 5.2ft (340 energy) with a light cross-off breeze.
The absolute jewel in the crown is Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September. The wind drops to zero, giving us a glassy, clean 4.9ft (352 energy) wave from the ENE. That's the kind of morning you remember. The Pass is a consistent point break, so it's a reliable setup, but it can get crowded, so get in early. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
After that, things fall off a cliff. Wednesday afternoon through to Friday the 4th sees poor conditions again, with strong cross-onshore winds and choppy, messy surf. The swell drops right back.
Then, a little surprise on the long-range. Saturday the 5th of September afternoon sees a clean 2.0ft (286 energy) SSE swell with a very long 17-second period and a moderate offshore wind. The period is a real positive for shape and energy, but it's small. The real long-range standout is Sunday the 6th of September morning. The wind is glassy, and we get a clean 3.0ft (324 energy) swell from the SE with a 14-second period. That's a lovely, clean, long-period groundswell, perfect for a point break like the Pass. It's a promising call, but it's a week and a half out, so don't set your watch by it. The rest of that second week drops off into poor, choppy conditions.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
87 | 99 | 131 | 149 | 219 | 142 | 142 | 142 | 104 | 94 | 161 | 178 | 109 | 65 | 73 | 187 | 227 | 191 | 173 | 142 | 88 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 5:54PM1.45m | 6:06AM0.97m | 6:31PM1.55m | 6:44AM1.05m | 7:04PM1.62m | 7:18AM1.13m | 7:36PM1.67m | 7:52AM1.21m | 8:08PM1.69m | 8:27AM1.28m | 8:40PM1.65m | 9:03AM1.34m | 9:13PM1.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:04AM0.31m | 00:36AM0.32m | 11:49AM0.23m | 1:08AM0.23m | 12:29PM0.16m | 1:38AM0.16m | 1:06PM0.10m | 2:07AM0.10m | 1:42PM0.07m | 2:36AM0.05m | 2:20PM0.07m | 3:06AM0.03m | 2:59PM0.10m | 3:36AM0.04m | |||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 9 |
74 | 99 | 131 | 149 | 52 | 142 | 142 | 142 | 104 | 94 | 161 | 178 | 109 | 84 | 200 | 187 | 227 | 191 | 173 | 142 | 88 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 5 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 16 | NE 7 | S 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 |
62 | 46 | 78 | 52 | 1 | 19 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 25 | 2 | 107 | 93 | 61 | 73 | 68 | 69 | 75 | 94 | 125 | 41 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | S 11 | SE 5 | SE 5 | S 18 | S 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | E 13 | NE 10 | S 16 | NE 8 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | E 15 | NE 12 | NE 13 |
87 | 89 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 26 | 25 | 3 | 15 | 5 | 33 | 40 | 65 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | — | ENE 8 | N 4 | N 5 | — | S 3 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 |
— | — | 9 | — | 219 | 28 | 23 | — | 5 | 38 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 12 | 12 | 85 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 478 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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.











