
Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, NNE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, N swell with 148 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with NNE 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wategos in the next 16 days are 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer over the next couple of weeks.
Straight off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – the first week and a half is a real struggle. We’re looking at a long, dry run of nothing worth paddling out for. From the 5th of September right through until the 16th, the swell is tiny, the wind is mostly messy or onshore, and the energy is barely registering. There’s a few days of offshore winds, sure, but with waves barely breaking 1ft, it’s just not worth waxing the board. The water temp is sitting around 69°F – that’s pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The real story, and the only thing getting me excited, is a late pulse that shows up around the 17th and 18th of September. This is the one to mark on your calendar.
Wategos is the only spot in the game here. It’s a point break, very consistent, and it’s the only name on the list. This spot is best with swell from the NE, and that’s the key.
Now, the standout window is the morning of Friday the 18th of September. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell rolling in from the SE with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a massive 2905 – that’s serious power. The wind is glassy, light offshore from the SW, so it’s going to be clean as a whistle. This is a big swell though, over 8ft, so this is for experienced surfers only. Beginners, stay on the sand for this one. That long period, 16 seconds, means the waves will have real shape and punch, but at a point break like Wategos, it should line up nicely.
The afternoon of the 18th is still pumping with 8ft swell from the same direction, but the wind swings cross-shore from the ENE, so it’ll get a bit bumpy. Still, plenty of size there.
The morning of Saturday the 19th of September is still a solid option, with 6ft swell and a fresh offshore wind from the S. The energy is down to 856, but it’s still a fun, clean wave. The wind is fresh, but it’s offshore, so it’ll be clean.
The rest of the 20th and beyond drops off again into tiny stuff.
So, bottom line: the first 12 days are a write-off. The only real play is that Friday the 18th morning at Wategos. Clean, big, powerful, and for the experienced crew. It’s a long way off, so we’ll keep an eye on it, but it’s the only real light in this tunnel.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Wed morning, fresh winds from the S by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 10 | NNE 5 | N 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 12 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
27 | 28 | 46 | 148 | 115 | 41 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 24 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 12 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross | off | off | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 2:48PM1.42m | 3:16AM0.87m | 4:05PM1.52m | 4:35AM0.93m | 5:07PM1.63m | 5:34AM1.03m | 5:59PM1.72m | 6:22AM1.15m | 6:44PM1.77m | 7:05AM1.26m | 7:25PM1.76m | 7:46AM1.36m | 8:02PM1.69m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:55PM0.40m | 9:00AM0.30m | 11:06PM0.29m | 10:17AM0.23m | 11:59PM0.18m | 11:18AM0.14m | 00:41AM0.09m | 12:11PM0.06m | 1:19AM0.03m | 12:58PM0.01m | 1:52AM0.00m | 1:42PM0.01m | 2:24AM-0.00m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 23 | 29 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 19 | 20 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | E 10 | N 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | S 9 | NE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 10 |
96 | 40 | 18 | 94 | 115 | 41 | 326 | 562 | 256 | 11 | 75 | 528 | 586 | 544 | 378 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 264 | 98 | 634 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | E 10 | S 8 | SSE 9 | S 9 | E 10 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ESE 11 | E 15 | SSE 23 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
11 | 28 | 11 | 29 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 52 | 6 | 12 | 12 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 9 | E 9 | NE 5 | SE 12 | NE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 6 | E 16 | NE 6 | SE 16 | S 23 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | SSE 15 |
27 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 17 | — | 15 | 15 | 5 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 22 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | N 6 | SE 3 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | S 8 | SSE 6 | — | — | NE 6 | — | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | — |
— | 27 | 46 | 148 | 3 | 227 | — | — | — | 167 | 145 | — | — | 2 | — | 419 | 1125 | 917 | 534 | 452 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 216 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 53 | 2 | 53 | 92 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 720 | 2 | 2 | 53 | 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.










