Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 4,558 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s 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 (Jul 21) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. 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 4.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) 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 2.3m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Look, I'll be straight with you—this is a pretty grim run for the next 16 days. We've got a massive swell hitting early, but it's wrapped up in lousy conditions, and then it just flat-lines for a long, long time. There's no real standout window here, so we're just picking the least ugly option.
The whole forecast revolves around one break: Wategos. It's a point break, beginner-friendly, and very consistent, but it's always crowded. The main event hits this Sunday, the 19th of July. We're looking at a solid 15 ft swell from the SE, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 4459 – that's strong to very strong. But the wind is a brutal 25 mph from the SSE, straight offshore. It'll be clean, but you'll be paddling like a demon and fighting for every wave. The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.
The swell drops off Monday, still 13 ft, but the wind swings to a 19 mph cross-offshore, which is a bit friendlier. The energy is still high at 3124, but it's a messy situation. Honestly, for a point break, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing with these winds and size.
From Tuesday the 21st, the swell fades fast. By Tuesday afternoon, it's down to 6 ft, cross-off wind, and the energy is a moderate 657. Wednesday morning is the best of a bad lot: 5 ft from the E, with a light 3 mph WSW cross-off wind. It's clean, but the energy is a weak 422. It's surfable, but nothing to get excited about.
After that, it's a long, slow death. From Thursday the 24th, the swell drops below 3 ft, and we have a solid gap of days with no real surf. Thursday, Friday, the weekend, and all the way through to the end of the forecast on the 3rd of August, we're looking at tiny, weak waves. The energy readings are in the double digits, and most of the time it's below 100. There's a brief moment on the 30th of July with a 1.0 ft, long-period 12-second swell from the SE, but it's essentially flat. This is a remarkable blank run for this area, but sometimes the ocean just shuts down.
So, if you're desperate, get out Wednesday morning, the 22nd of July, for the cleanest, smallest waves. Otherwise, this is a two-week bake-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4459 | 4319 | 4558 | 3124 | 2260 | 1451 | 942 | 484 | 480 | 422 | 311 | 270 | 180 | 140 | 112 | 68 | 53 | 43 | 70 | 51 | 38 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:42AM1.19m | 11:44PM1.42m | 12:36PM1.20m | 00:25AM1.23m | 1:35PM1.20m | 1:11AM1.07m | 2:40PM1.22m | 2:09AM0.94m | 3:45PM1.25m | 3:24AM0.86m | 4:46PM1.31m | 4:39AM0.85m | 5:37PM1.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:26PM0.30m | 6:16AM0.16m | 6:22PM0.44m | 6:55AM0.22m | 7:31PM0.56m | 7:39AM0.28m | 8:57PM0.61m | 8:30AM0.32m | 10:27PM0.59m | 9:30AM0.34m | 11:37PM0.52m | 10:31AM0.33m | 00:26AM0.43m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — |
mm | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 24 | S 18 | S 17 | S 14 | SSE 13 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 11 | 102 | 91 | 97 | 34 | 1451 | 942 | 484 | 480 | 422 | 311 | 270 | 180 | 140 | 112 | 68 | 53 | 353 | 127 | 163 | 180 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | S 23 | — | S 17 | — | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 17 | S 16 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | 66 | 11 | — | 6 | — | 57 | 46 | 173 | 36 | 32 | 32 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 43 | 70 | 51 | 38 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 24 | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | SE 16 | S 15 | S 14 | E 12 | E 12 | — | SE 8 | — | — | NE 9 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | 40 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | 23 | 11 | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 2 | — | SSE 4 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4459 | 4319 | 4558 | 3124 | 2260 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 16 | 512 | 526 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 604 | 508 | 229 | 92 | 92 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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