Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, ENE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s period, ENE swell with 109 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s 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 29) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wategos in the next 16 days are 0.8m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – we’re staring down a pretty grim 16-day run for surf up at Wategos. The forecast is a long stretch of small, weak swells with barely any energy behind them, and the winds are just not cooperating for most of it. It’s one of those periods where you might be better off doing a bit of maintenance on your board or just catching up on sleep.
We kick off on Friday the 28th of August. The morning has a tiny 2ft swell rolling in from the ENE with a short, weak 8-second period, and the combined energy is a pathetic 45 – that’s weak, mate. The wind is offshore from the south at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but the waves are just too small and gutless to really ride. By the afternoon, it’s cross-offshore and even smaller at 2ft. The whole day is a write-off.
Saturday the 29th doesn’t get any better. Slight improvement in the morning with a 2ft swell from the east and a 9-second period, but the energy is still terrible at 58. The wind is offshore from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but the wave comment says it all: “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s a struggle.
Sunday the 30th sees the swell drop to 2ft from the east. The wind is offshore from the south at 12 mph, but the waves are just poor. Monday the 31st is more of the same – 1ft waves, offshore wind, but the energy falls to 30. There’s nothing to get excited about.
There’s a brief, tiny flicker of hope on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning brings the best conditions we’ll see in this outlook. The swell is still small at 2ft from the ENE, but the period extends to 10 seconds, and the combined energy finally cracks triple digits at 107, which is at least moderate. The wind is glassy, coming from the NNW at just 3 mph. That means the surface will be like a mirror, and for a brief moment, it’s as clean as it gets. But here’s the catch: the waves are still small and the forecast still calls it “very ordinary.” If you’re desperate for a paddle and can find a rolling ankle-snapper, go for it, but don’t expect much.
After that, it turns into a long, drawn-out nightmare. From Thursday the 3rd of September, the swell direction swings around to the north, and the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore for a solid week. By the 6th of September, the swell hits 4ft from the north with a short, messy 6-second period, and the energy jumps to 206 (moderate), but the wind is blowing onshore at 18 mph from the north, making it a complete mess. It’s not surfable for a paddle board; it’s more of a kite-surfing set-up if anything.
The run continues like this, with small, weak, or wind-affected waves, all the way through to the 12th of September. The last few days from the 8th to the 12th are tiny, with swells between 0.6ft and 3ft, and the energy drops back to single digits or low double digits. The best you can say is that the winds are often cross-offshore or offshore, keeping it clean, but there’s just no power in the water to work with.
The water temp at the start of the period is 69°, which is about 0.9° cooler than average for the time of year – nothing unusual there, feels pretty normal.
So, to be blunt, there are no standouts here. The only hint of a surfable session is that Wednesday morning, and even that is a stretch. We’re looking at roughly a week and a half of near-nothingness from the 3rd of September onwards. It’s a tough stretch for Byron Bay. Just wait it out, mate. The forecasts can change, but right now, this one’s a bust.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | N 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
45 | 35 | 51 | 54 | 55 | 35 | 36 | 43 | 41 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 74 | 71 | 71 | 98 | 65 | 45 | 46 | 44 | 60 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 8:08PM1.69m | 8:27AM1.28m | 8:40PM1.65m | 9:03AM1.34m | 9:13PM1.58m | 9:41AM1.38m | 9:49PM1.47m | 10:23AM1.40m | 10:29PM1.32m | 11:12AM1.39m | 11:15PM1.16m | 12:11PM1.38m | 00:16AM1.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:42PM0.07m | 2:36AM0.05m | 2:20PM0.07m | 3:06AM0.03m | 2:59PM0.10m | 3:36AM0.04m | 3:41PM0.16m | 4:09AM0.07m | 4:29PM0.24m | 4:45AM0.13m | 5:26PM0.34m | 5:27AM0.20m | 6:40PM0.42m | ||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 26 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 10 | E 8 | E 9 | SSE 10 | E 9 | E 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
262 | 157 | 469 | 353 | 55 | 111 | 36 | 43 | 98 | 23 | 22 | 176 | 76 | 145 | 84 | 119 | 88 | 80 | 56 | 44 | 46 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | NE 10 | E 8 | N 10 | NE 15 | E 9 | SSE 18 | SE 17 | SSE 16 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
45 | 35 | 51 | 54 | 4 | 35 | 2 | 8 | 41 | 34 | 77 | 107 | 74 | 71 | 71 | 98 | 65 | 45 | 46 | 56 | 40 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | — | NE 7 | NE 10 | — | NE 10 | NE 15 | — | NE 13 | NE 14 | E 12 | E 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 15 | SSE 11 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 7 | NE 10 | NE 10 |
22 | — | 2 | 4 | — | 4 | 8 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | 22 | 35 | 23 | 50 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 9 | — | ESE 5 | SSE 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | NE 3 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | N 5 |
— | 238 | — | 21 | 346 | 175 | 585 | 446 | 114 | 358 | 319 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 31 | 60 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 53 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 223 | 1 | 0 | 216 | 1 | 1 | 193 | 13 |
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.











