
Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 31 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, ESE swell with 456 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period with E 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period. 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 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 31st Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming up for Wategos over the next couple of weeks. To be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and we’re in for a long, quiet wait before anything really gets going. The first week is almost a write-off, with barely any swell to speak of. The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.
We kick off on Saturday the 25th of July with tiny 2ft swell out of the east, period a short 9 seconds, and cross-off wind. The combined energy is weak at just 60. It’s surfable but very ordinary. That sets the tone for the next several days. From Saturday afternoon right through until Thursday the 30th, the swell stays below 1ft and often the energy is in the teens or twenties – total flat spell. Not worth paddling out.
Finally, on Friday the 31st of July, we see a pulse of swell come through. The morning has 7ft from the ESE with a short 7-second period and cross-off wind. The combined energy jumps to 472, which is moderate. But it’s short period and breezy, so it’s marginal, maybe a bit choppy. The afternoon has similar 6ft swell. Still not the cleanest.
Moving into the first week of August, the swell drops back. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd have 4ft and 3ft east swell, period around 6-7 seconds, with moderate winds. It’s surfable but ordinary. Monday the 3rd morning is worth a mention – 2ft from the ENE, 7 seconds, and glassy conditions. That’s a nice little window for a clean, gentle session if you’re keen on small waves.
Now, the standout. Tuesday the 4th of August morning brings a solid 10ft pulse from the SE with a 9-second period and light cross-on wind. The combined swell energy is a massive 1439 – strong. This is big, powerful stuff, but at 10ft it’s for experienced surfers only. Wategos is a point break, so longer period swells like this can reel nicely, though the cross-on breeze might put a bit of bump on it. The 5th and 6th see the swell drop from 7ft to 6ft, with the 6th of August morning offering the best wind: light cross-off from the SW, 6ft SE swell, 9 seconds, and clean conditions. That one scores well internally.
After that, from the 7th of August onwards, we get onshore winds and the swell fades, with a long 13-second period on the 9th but a cross wind. Not ideal. The 8th of August is blown out by strong northerlies.
So, the standout session is Tuesday the 4th of August morning at Wategos – that 10ft SE swell is the biggest of the period, but it’s only for the experts. For a cleaner, more manageable option, the morning of Thursday the 6th of August with 6ft and light cross-off wind is a good bet. Be aware, Wategos can get crowded, especially on a solid swell, so expect company.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the S by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | SE 14 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 6 | E 5 | NE 6 | E 12 | E 18 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
60 | 0 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 456 | 355 | 192 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 5:37PM1.39m | 5:40AM0.88m | 6:21PM1.47m | 6:28AM0.93m | 7:00PM1.55m | 7:09AM0.98m | 7:36PM1.62m | 7:45AM1.03m | 8:09PM1.67m | 8:20AM1.08m | 8:41PM1.69m | 8:55AM1.12m | 9:12PM1.69m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:31AM0.33m | 00:26AM0.43m | 11:24AM0.29m | 1:06AM0.35m | 12:10PM0.23m | 1:41AM0.28m | 12:51PM0.17m | 2:14AM0.21m | 1:29PM0.12m | 2:45AM0.17m | 2:05PM0.10m | 3:16AM0.13m | 2:40PM0.11m | 3:47AM0.10m | |||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 7 | E 6 | E 5 | NE 6 | S 10 | NE 7 | E 13 | E 13 | ESE 7 |
313 | 199 | 308 | 227 | 285 | 279 | 245 | 245 | 197 | 106 | 72 | 42 | 26 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 51 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 192 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | SE 14 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 5 | NE 5 | E 12 | SSE 12 | ENE 6 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | S 10 |
632 | 431 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 117 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SSE 11 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 14 | E 13 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 6 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 12 | E 12 | E 18 | — | — | E 13 |
60 | 65 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 6 | — | — | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — | SSW 4 | W 3 | WSW 2 | SW 3 | — | — | SSW 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — |
— | — | — | 1 | — | — | 11 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 45 | 51 | 145 | 104 | 246 | 456 | 355 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 410 | 13 | 53 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
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.










