
Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, E swell with 235 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 08) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. 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 1.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) 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 1.8m 10s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let's be honest, the next couple of weeks are looking like a tough ask for a decent wave. We've got a lot of small, short-period swell and plenty of wind that's going to be making things messy. There will be a few windows of clean conditions, but they're mostly going to be on tiny, weak waves.
The first chance to get wet is Saturday morning, August 8th. It's not much to write home about—around 3ft of ENE windswell with a short 8-second period. The water's about average for this time of year at 68°F. There's a light cross-off breeze from the SSW that will have the surface looking okay, but the energy is weak (114). They're surfable, but you'll be searching for any bit of shape. The afternoon is similar, clean with a touch more size at around 4ft, but still that short-period stuff (177), so it's all a bit soft.
Here's where it goes south. Sunday the 9th starts with a light northerly, but it's onshore, and the swell drops off. By the afternoon, a 15 mph NNE wind is blowing straight onshore, making a mess of things. Monday the 10th is worse—a fresh 19 mph NNW onshore wind and a bumpy 6ft of short-period north swell. That's pure chaos. I’d be thinking about the kiteboard for that one.
Then we hit a proper flat spell. From Tuesday the 11th all the way through to Saturday the 15th, the swell just dies. We're talking 2ft to 2ft of weak, short-interval energy. There are some clean days in there, especially with the offshore breezes on the 15th, but there's just no water moving. It's a total blank period.
We get a bit of a pulse on Monday the 17th. The morning sees a jump to 4ft of E swell, but it's only a 6-second period—basically windswell. The wind is light offshore from the south, so it'll be clean, but the waves will be weak and breaking all over the place. The afternoon pushes up to around 5ft, but a rising SSE breeze and the chance of storms makes it less appealing. Tuesday the 18th is similar: 4ft, short-period, with a cross-off wind keeping it clean in the morning. It's surfable, but you'll be doing a lot of paddling for not much. The energy is moderate (194), but that short period kills it.
The rest of that week and into the next one (the 19th to the 23rd) is a steady decline. The swell stays in the 2ft to 4ft range, but it's almost always junky. There are a few mornings with offshore winds and clean surfaces, like the 20th and 21st, but the swell is too small and too short-period to get excited about. It's a frustrating pattern, for sure. There’s no standout on the horizon.
So, to sum it up: if you're desperate, Saturday morning the 8th is the best of a bad bunch. Maybe the clean 4ft on the morning of the 17th gives you a few fun ones, but don't hold your breath. The long-range stuff into the 20th and 21st looks clean, but the swell just isn't there. It’s a waiting game, boys. I’ll be watching the charts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the N by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | N 6 | NNE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
75 | 173 | 230 | 185 | 146 | 146 | 224 | 187 | 96 | 74 | 78 | 81 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 61 | 43 | 43 | 29 | 31 | 29 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | on | on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:14PM1.50m | 4:31AM0.93m | 5:19PM1.64m | 5:40AM0.98m | 6:15PM1.78m | 6:35AM1.05m | 7:05PM1.87m | 7:24AM1.13m | 7:50PM1.91m | 8:08AM1.21m | 8:32PM1.88m | 8:51AM1.27m | 9:11PM1.78m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:11PM0.34m | 10:21AM0.20m | 00:14AM0.22m | 11:25AM0.11m | 1:05AM0.11m | 12:20PM0.03m | 1:49AM0.04m | 1:10PM-0.04m | 2:28AM-0.00m | 1:57PM-0.05m | 3:05AM-0.01m | 2:42PM-0.02m | 3:40AM0.01m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 5 | N 6 | E 9 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
75 | 173 | 230 | 185 | 146 | 146 | 119 | 187 | 88 | 74 | 78 | 81 | 85 | 32 | 40 | 61 | 101 | 482 | 872 | 450 | 235 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | S 9 | S 9 | NE 9 | S 8 | NE 8 | S 8 | E 9 | E 9 | N 6 | S 10 | NNE 6 | S 8 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 5 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
39 | 45 | 42 | 37 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 122 | 96 | 19 | 2 | 20 | 6 | 87 | 85 | 9 | 43 | 43 | 29 | 31 | 29 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | E 14 | NE 9 | SSE 9 | E 14 | S 8 | E 13 | E 13 | S 10 | NE 7 | NE 12 | S 8 | SE 14 | S 10 | S 10 | S 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 |
52 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | S 3 | — | — | NE 8 | NNE 5 | N 6 | W 3 | SW 5 | WSW 3 | NNE 6 | W 2 | N 6 | N 5 | WNW 4 | W 3 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | — |
3 | 2 | — | — | 70 | 103 | 224 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 37 | 1 | 30 | 47 | 11 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 229 | 226 | 210 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 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.











