Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, SE swell with 478 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. 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 1.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking.
First off, the standout for the whole forecast period is Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th at Wategos. That’s where you want to be. Wednesday morning kicks off with a clean 5ft swell out of the SE, with a nice 11-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, giving you some real push and shape. The water’s sitting at 68°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing freaky going on there. The wind is light cross-off, so the wave faces will be tidy. The combined energy is a solid 634 (moderate), so there’s enough grunt to make it worthwhile. Wednesday afternoon holds up too, with 5ft and a 10-second period, still clean. Thursday morning gets even better: 6ft swell from the ESE, but the period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s a bit more of a windswell feel. The wind, though, is offshore and light – just a slight air – so it’ll be glassy and clean. That’s your best window. The energy is 355 (moderate). After Thursday afternoon, the quality drops right off.
From Friday the 21st through to the end of August, it’s a long, flat, and generally poor stretch. The swell drops to under 3ft, and the wind is often onshore or cross-on, making a mess of things. There’s a few days where the wind goes offshore or glassy, but the swell is just too small – 2ft, 3ft at best – and the energy is weak, under 100 most of the time. You’ll be scratching for scraps. The 23rd and 24th have a morning window with clean conditions and 3ft, but it’s ordinary, and the period is short at 8 seconds. Not worth getting excited about.
Then we hit September, and the first week is still pretty flat. The 1st and 2nd of September have clean offshore winds, but the swell is tiny – 1ft. The 2nd afternoon shows a bit of a pulse: 3ft from the SE with a 9-second period, and the energy jumps to 211 (moderate), but it’s still very small. The 3rd remains small and average. Overall, if you can’t get out on the 19th or 20th, you’re looking at a long wait with very little to offer.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 568 | 478 | 268 | 345 | 273 | 120 | 61 | 56 | 73 | 68 | 68 | 76 | 87 | 81 | 62 | 87 | 87 | 116 | 109 | 87 | 109 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 12:42PM1.24m | 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 | 6:54PM0.56m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | |
 | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 568 | 478 | 201 | 345 | 273 | 120 | 61 | 28 | 73 | 68 | 68 | 76 | 87 | 81 | 62 | 87 | 87 | 116 | 109 | 87 | 109 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | E 11 | E 10 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 9 | S 4 | S 7 | SSE 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | N 5 |
| kJ | 66 | 56 | 47 | 10 | 8 | 75 | 38 | 28 | 22 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 15 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 10 | ESE 12 | — | — | SSE 10 | SSE 8 | — | E 13 | E 11 | ENE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 7 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 6 | S 16 | NE 10 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 5 | 34 | 27 | — | — | 9 | 39 | — | 3 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 | N 3 | NNE 4 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 268 | — | — | — | — | 56 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 29 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 256 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 229 | 13 | 94 | 229 | 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.
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