
Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 4,516 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s 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 4.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
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 the cards for Wategos over the next couple of weeks.
First up, the good news is there's plenty of swell on the horizon, but we've got a serious wait on our hands. The first week or so is pretty much a write-off. From now until around Thursday the 17th, the surf is tiny – we're talking knee-high dribble at best, with a combined energy that's barely registering (16 on the scale). The wind is mostly cross-off or strong offshore, which would be great if there was any wave to ride, but there isn't. It's a frustrating start.
Then, things get interesting. Friday the 17th, the swell finally kicks in. We're looking at a solid 8ft groundswell from the southeast, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy jumps to a solid 656, and we've got fresh offshore winds. This is going to be a big, powerful wave, but at that size, it's definitely one for the experienced crew only. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about average for this time of year. The real standout, though, is the weekend. Saturday the 18th sees the swell building to 10ft, and by Sunday the 19th, it's a massive 15ft from the ESE with a combined energy reading of 3872! That's a serious amount of ocean moving. The wind goes cross-off, so it won't be as clean, but the power is undeniable. This is only for the absolute experts.
The real prize might be the following week. Let's talk about the highlight: Monday the 20th afternoon. The swell drops back to a manageable 10ft from the ESE at 10 seconds, but the wind swings offshore and we get a moderate offshore breeze. The wave energy is still very strong (2040), so there's plenty of grunt, but the conditions are clean. This is excellent for experienced surfers, and it's the best window of quality you'll see in this forecast.
Tuesday the 21st is also very good, with 7ft of E swell and a gentle breeze keeping things clean. The swell hangs around at 7ft for the next few days, with a long 12-second period starting to show up on Thursday the 23rd. That long period will make for some lined-up sets, but at a point break like Wategos, it could be a bit straight. The wind is mostly offshore or cross-off, so the quality stays high. Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th look like excellent, clean days with 5ft to 7ft of ESE swell and light winds. The crowd factor is a bummer – Wategos is *always* busy, so expect a packed lineup, especially on a weekend.
After that, the swell slowly fades into the next week. By Tuesday the 29th, we're back to small, weak waves around 2ft with a combined energy of just 95, so we're looking at another flat spell to finish the 16-day run.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a total dud, but the second week has some serious juice. The best of the bunch is the Monday the 20th afternoon and the Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th. If you're an expert, the big Sunday the 19th is a monster, but it's raw and cross-off. For everyone else, aim for that middle week with the offshore winds. It's a long wait, but it'll be worth it.
Stay frothy,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 18°C on Fri morning). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | NE 10 | E 11 | SSE 8 | NE 9 | NE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 646 | 552 | 637 | 981 | 1755 | 4516 | 3872 | 3627 | 3065 | 2225 | 2040 | 1348 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:08PM1.96m | 8:28AM1.10m | 8:55PM1.96m | 9:16AM1.13m | 9:40PM1.89m | 10:03AM1.16m | 10:23PM1.77m | 10:51AM1.18m | 11:04PM1.60m | 11:42AM1.19m | 11:44PM1.42m | 12:36PM1.20m | 00:25AM1.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:20PM-0.03m | 2:54AM0.01m | 2:10PM-0.05m | 3:39AM-0.00m | 2:59PM-0.03m | 4:21AM0.02m | 3:46PM0.05m | 5:00AM0.06m | 4:35PM0.16m | 5:38AM0.11m | 5:26PM0.30m | 6:16AM0.16m | 6:22PM0.44m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 15 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 12 | 8 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | ESE 10 | S 8 | ESE 9 | NE 10 | E 11 | — | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | — | SE 22 | S 21 | S 19 | S 19 | SSE 18 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
13 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 2 | — | 3 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 6 | — | 18 | 34 | 30 | 65 | 30 | 2225 | 2040 | 1348 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | S 8 | ESE 10 | SE 7 | E 10 | — | — | S 16 | S 19 | SSE 17 | SSE 18 | SE 16 | — | E 20 | — | — | S 24 | — | S 16 | S 16 | SE 13 |
6 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 7 | 29 | 31 | 10 | — | 8 | — | — | 11 | — | 5 | 5 | 42 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 7 | S 4 | S 12 | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | — |
10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | — | — | S 4 | S 6 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | S 7 | — | — |
1 | — | — | 17 | 314 | 836 | 1238 | 1123 | 923 | 646 | 552 | 637 | 981 | 1755 | 4516 | 3872 | 3627 | 3065 | 215 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 240 | 929 | 321 | 216 | 13 | 2 | 229 | 408 | 216 | 92 | 553 | 53 | 598 | 647 | 687 | 604 | 604 | 274 | 92 | 0 | 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.










