Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, ENE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, ENE swell with 338 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with ENE 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 (Aug 22) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wategos in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s going to be a lean stretch. The first solid call isn’t until Sunday the 23rd, and even then, it’s not going to fire. We’ve got a big gap of quiet before that, so don’t bother paddling out on Saturday the 22nd; it’s blown out and messy with a weak 3-ft ENE swell and no energy behind it (80).
So, Sunday morning the 23rd is where we start. Wategos is the only game in town, and it’s a point break, beginner-friendly, and pretty consistent. We’ll get a 3-ft ENE swell, but the period is short at 7-8 seconds, so it’s not going to have much grunt. The water’s sitting at a warm 68°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. The morning wind is light cross-off from the SSW, cleaning things up nicely, so you’ll get clean little waves. It’s not going to blow your mind, but you’ll get wet. The combined energy is weak (80-94), so expect small, weak lines.
The standout, and I use that word lightly, is Thursday morning the 27th. The swell bumps up to 5-ft from the ENE, with moderate energy (262) and a moderate offshore wind from the SSW. The waves will be clean and have a bit more push to them. Still, the period is only 8 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, not a groundswell with any real weight. This is the pick for anyone who can get out there, but keep your expectations in check – it’s a “surfable but ordinary” kinda day. After that, it’s a slow fade into smaller and smaller waves, with onshore wind ruining most afternoons. By the second week, into late August and early September, we’re looking at tiny 2–2-ft leftovers with onshore winds. Not worth getting excited about.
So, bottom line: if you’re desperate for a paddle, Sunday the 23rd morning or Thursday the 27th morning is your window. It’s not a great run, but we take what we get. Winds are light and clean, crowds at Wategos are always a thing, so expect company.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 70 | 72 | 91 | 78 | 70 | 78 | 128 | 122 | 119 | 192 | 154 | 157 | 107 | 161 | 262 | 137 | 137 | 109 | 86 | 92 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | off | off | off | off | off | cross | off |
High Tide | 4:16PM1.27m | 4:25AM0.83m | 5:11PM1.35m | 5:23AM0.89m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:16PM0.51m | 10:07AM0.38m | 00:01AM0.41m | 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 | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 70 | 72 | 91 | 78 | 70 | 78 | 128 | 122 | 119 | 47 | 154 | 157 | 107 | 161 | 262 | 137 | 137 | 109 | 86 | 92 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 11 | S 7 | S 6 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 5 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | NNE 7 | NE 8 | S 8 | NE 9 | SSE 6 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 14 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 69 | 43 | 30 | 74 | 49 | 1 | 31 | 17 | 36 | 51 | 5 | 88 | 68 | 86 | 73 | 51 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | SSE 7 | E 8 | S 9 | S 4 | SSE 13 | SSE 11 | SE 6 | SE 5 | S 18 | SE 16 | SE 16 | S 9 | S 9 | — | — | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 62 | 70 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | — | — | 45 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 2 | SSE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | N 4 | — | — | SW 3 | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 192 | 10 | — | — | 2 | 14 | 57 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 460 | 161 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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 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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