Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, E swell with 130 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s 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 1.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 11s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for Wategos. We’ve got a long, dry spell before anything worth paddling out for shows up. It’s mostly tiny, weak swell with poor conditions, so don’t bother checking the forecast every day. From Thursday the 23rd of July all the way through to Tuesday the 4th of August, the waves are pretty much non-existent or just plain rubbish. You’ll see a few ripples here and there, but nothing that’ll get your heart racing. There’s a big gap of about 12 days of nothing worth recommending.
Right, now for the good stuff. The real action kicks off on Wednesday the 5th of August. We’ve got a serious pulse of groundswell arriving. On Wednesday morning, expect a solid 12 ft swell from the southeast, with a 11-second period. The combined energy is strong at 3165, so you’ll feel the power. It’s a cross-off wind from the ESE at 19 mph, which will keep things reasonably clean, but the sheer size – over 8 ft – means this is for experts only. Beginners, stay on the beach for this one. The tide and conditions are a bit marginal, so pick your moment.
Then, Thursday the 6th of August is the standout. Thursday morning sees that 12 ft southeast swell with a longer 12-second period, and combined energy jumps to 3552. The wind is a gentle breeze from the SE at 9 mph, cross-off, keeping the waves clean. Thursday afternoon is even better: still 12 ft from the southeast, but the period stretches to 13 seconds, and the energy hits 4728. That’s a lot of water moving. The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a true groundswell with a long period, so it’s going to wrap around the point beautifully. Wategos is a point break, so it’ll handle that long-period swell well, offering some nice lines. The wind is light and cross-off, which is a major positive – it’ll be clean and glassy. Crowds are always an issue here, so you’ll be sharing the peak.
Friday the 7th of August still has some juice. Morning sees 10 ft from the southeast, 12-second period, with energy at 3124. The wind is a light cross-off from the SW at 6 mph – again, clean. Afternoon is similar, 10 ft from the southeast, 13-second period, energy at 2445, with a light cross-off from the east. Still excellent for experienced surfers. The water temperature for the first mention was 69°F, which is about 0.5°F cooler than the seasonal average, so it’s pretty normal for this time of year – no need for a thick wetsuit.
So, to sum it up: don’t waste your time until Wednesday the 5th of August. Then Thursday the 6th is your best bet – big, clean, powerful southeast groundswell with light offshore winds. It’s only for the experienced crew, but if you’ve got the skills, get in the water.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NE 6 | NE 5 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 161 | 130 | 107 | 51 | 64 | 59 | 56 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 9 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 26 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 3:24AM0.86m | 4:46PM1.31m | 4:39AM0.85m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:27PM0.59m | 9:30AM0.34m | 11:37PM0.52m | 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 | |||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | 161 | 130 | 107 | 49 | 64 | 378 | 165 | 302 | 218 | 236 | 278 | 163 | 154 | 160 | 142 | 123 | 69 | 43 | 29 | 26 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | S 10 | SE 7 | E 10 | ENE 8 | SE 15 | SSE 13 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 5 | SSE 19 |
| kJ | 11 | 8 | 2 | 51 | 26 | 509 | 313 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 9 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 35 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 16 | NE 10 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | E 12 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 26 | 59 | 56 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 25 | 23 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | — | S 4 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | SSW 4 | — | NE 2 | — | — | SSE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 20 | 285 | 292 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 10 | — | 1 | — | — | 13 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
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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