Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 505 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Wategos this week:
The surf forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wategos in the next 16 days are 1.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let's cast an eye over what's on the table for Wategos for the next couple of weeks. Bit of a mixed bag, you know how it goes.
The run kicks off on Sunday the 16th with hardly a ripple – just tiny 1ft ENE slop at 10-second intervals. Combined energy is a measly 37, and it's at a moderate 12 mph offshore from the south, so it's clean but there's nothing to actually ride. Hang tight, it's a bit of a wait.
We go into a real quiet patch here. From the 16th through to the end of the month, we're looking at a long gap with next to nothing surfable. There's a pulse of swell around 6ft on Monday the 17th with 431 combined energy (moderate wave energy), but the period drops to a short 8 seconds and the wind is cross-offshore. The data calls it marginal or questionable, so it's going to be lumpy and frustrating. That sort of energy with a short period just doesn't stack up well for this point break. It’s not until Wednesday the 19th of August that things finally start to look interesting. We get a jump to 5ft swell from the SE with an 11-second period – that's a proper groundswell feel – and combined energy reaches 763 (moderate energy, but solid). The wind early that morning is a glassy 3 mph from the SSW, cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. This is the standout of the whole window. At 5ft, it's a great size for all levels, and that longer period will really help the point shape up. The caveat here is that while a longer period swell often brings better waves, at a point break like Wategos it can also mean longer lulls between sets, making the paddle out a bit easier. Break is very consistent, and with an S offshore direction, it's clean. Crowds are always a factor here, so expect company.
The rest of that week and into the second week is pretty ordinary. Thursday the 20th has a clean morning but the period drops back to 8 seconds. Friday the 21st is blown out by onshore winds, and we drop to tiny surf by the end of the month. Sure, there's a flush on the 30th and 31st of August with a 5ft and 6ft NE-ENE swell, and on the Monday the 31st the wind is offshore from the SW at 3 mph, combined energy at 442, and the data says good surf conditions. For a long-range call, it's promising, but not certain. The swell direction from the ENE matches the break's optimum of NE, and with a period of just 8 seconds it'll be a bit disorganised. It could be a fun one if it cleans up, but treat it as a bonus.
So, the true standout with the most promise is that Wednesday the 19th. Get on it if you can. Otherwise, this is a patchy outlook, and you'll be doing well to find a clean wave most days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
31 | 33 | 31 | 422 | 419 | 418 | 480 | 450 | 458 | 500 | 505 | 445 | 233 | 263 | 257 | 224 | 240 | 196 | 207 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 10:16AM1.33m | 10:23PM1.46m | 11:00AM1.32m | 10:58PM1.28m | 11:48AM1.28m | 11:35PM1.11m | 12:42PM1.24m | 00:20AM0.96m | 1:49PM1.21m | 1:26AM0.85m | 3:05PM1.21m | 3:01AM0.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:12AM0.05m | 4:11PM0.18m | 4:44AM0.11m | 4:57PM0.32m | 5:17AM0.18m | 5:49PM0.45m | 5:52AM0.26m | 6:54PM0.56m | 6:36AM0.34m | 8:25PM0.62m | 7:36AM0.40m | 10:07PM0.59m | |||||||
— | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | SSE 17 | S 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 14 | SE 9 | SE 11 | ENE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
31 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 54 | 27 | 7 | 15 | 18 | 287 | 505 | 70 | 233 | 263 | 257 | 224 | 240 | 196 | 207 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 19 | SSE 18 | ESE 8 | E 10 | SE 18 | SE 17 | ENE 9 | S 9 | SE 14 | E 6 | ENE 7 | S 8 | ENE 6 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 7 | NE 9 | S 13 | SE 7 |
36 | 30 | 7 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 41 | 29 | 84 | 118 | 20 | 66 | 13 | 12 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 13 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 16 | E 15 | SSE 17 | E 14 | S 15 | S 17 | SE 14 | S 13 | S 12 | ESE 12 | S 9 | S 10 | ESE 12 | NE 8 | — | NE 9 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 |
5 | 4 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 50 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 127 | 42 | 19 | 14 | 11 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 |
383 | 312 | 216 | 422 | 419 | 418 | 480 | 450 | 458 | 500 | 140 | 445 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 257 | 13 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Wategos Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Wategos provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Wategos can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Wategos 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 (Wategos) 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 Wategos 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.
Wategos is 27 km (17 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.











