Wategos Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.64° S 153.63° E

Wategos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 19 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Wategos sea temperature is
20.1° C
0.5° 

Wategos surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Wategos surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, ESE swell with 337 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Wategos in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Thu 20th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 7s
Best Surf 7AM (Thu 20th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 7s
Most Powerful 7AM (Thu 20th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you—this 16-day window is a tough one for our waters. We've only got one spot in the game, and it's a classic: Wategos. Water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The pattern starts on Wednesday, 19th August with a bit of a pulse. We're looking at a 5-foot swell from the southeast, with a moderate energy level (534). The wind is a cross-off from the southeast at 9 mph, which should keep the faces relatively clean. It's a consistent break, but the swell direction isn't ideal for the optimum NE direction, so it's just okay. Thursday morning, 20th August, is where it gets interesting. The swell drops a touch to 5 feet from the ESE, but the wind goes glassy—dead calm from the south at 3 mph. That's a major positive for clean, silky waves. The energy is moderate (332). This is probably the best you'll see, but it's still not a standout by any means.

After that, it's a long, drawn-out dry spell. From Friday, 21st August, all the way through to Tuesday morning, 1st September, the surf is either poor or just ordinary. The swell drops to under 3 feet, winds turn onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is weak (mostly under 200). There are a few moments like Sunday, 23rd August morning with a light offshore wind, but the waves are tiny at 3 feet. It's a frustrating stretch.

The next real event is on Tuesday afternoon, 1st September. A new swell arrives from the southeast at 6 feet, but the period is a long 14 seconds—that's a proper groundswell. The energy jumps dramatically to 1178, which is strong. However, the wind is a cross-onshore from the ENE at 9 mph, making it choppy. That's a real shame, because the swell has some punch. For a point break like Wategos, that longer period should offer some shape, but the wind will mess it up. Wednesday morning, 2nd September, is a bit better with a 5-foot SE swell and lighter cross-on winds, but it's still marginal. The energy is still high at 719.

After that, it fades back into the ordinary zone. The last few days of the forecast show tiny, poor waves again. Honestly, there's no true standout session here. The Thursday morning glass-off is the best bet, but it's a very short window of mediocrity. If you're a beginner, the 5-foot stuff is fine, but it's not worth the drive for most. With the cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions on the bigger swell, it might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Look, sometimes it's a blank run, and this is one of those times. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, don't expect much.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
ESE
8
1.6
ESE
8
1.5
E
8
0.8
SE
8
0.8
ENE
7
0.7
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
1
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
1
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
1.2
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
250
300
265
75
59
41
73
70
101
99
87
88
81
85
101
134
119
119
175
Wind (km/h)
5
E
5
SSW
10
ENE
10
NNE
10
N
20
NNE
20
N
10
NNW
20
NNE
10
NNW
10
SSW
5
ESE
10
NNW
10
N
25
NNE
20
NNW
20
N
25
N
25
NNW
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross-off
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
High Tide
00:20AM0.96m
1:49PM1.21m
1:26AM0.85m
3:05PM1.21m
3:01AM0.80m
4:16PM1.27m
4:25AM0.83m
5:11PM1.35m
5:23AM0.89m
5:54PM1.45m
6:06AM0.97m
6:31PM1.55m
Low Tide
6:36AM0.34m
8:25PM0.62m
7:36AM0.40m
10:07PM0.59m
8:54AM0.42m
11:16PM0.51m
10:07AM0.38m
00:01AM0.41m
11:04AM0.31m
00:36AM0.32m
11:49AM0.23m
1:08AM0.23m
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:13
6:11
6:11
6:09
6:09
6:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:23
5:24
5:24
5:25
5:25
5:27
 mm
4
1
Temp °C
17
19
18
17
19
19
17
20
19
18
19
19
18
21
20
18
21
20
19
Feels °C
17
17
16
15
16
16
14
18
16
17
18
19
17
19
17
15
18
17
16
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Wategos:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Wategos surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest