
Surf Forecasts:
Wategos surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, SE swell with 509 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s 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 (Sep 10) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 12s 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 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 10PM. 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wategos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here.
Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak waves ahead, with only a couple of brief windows where it might be worth paddling out. It’s not going to be a time to get overly excited.
Looking at the start of the period, we’ve got a run of knee-high mush with short-period energy that’s just not going to push through. The combined wave energy is really low, sitting between 16 and 120, which is weak. Thursday morning the 10th has some offshore wind and clean conditions, but the swell is only 1ft, so unless you’re on a foamie, there’s nothing to ride. This quiet, poor stretch looks like it’ll last through until the morning of Saturday the 12th.
Now, Saturday the 12th is where things finally wake up a bit. We see the swell jump to 5ft in the morning from the SE with a short 8-second period, and the energy climbs to 348. It’s not the most powerful stuff, but it’s something. The wind is light offshore in the morning, so it should be clean. This is the best of the first week. The afternoon drops slightly to 5ft but the wind swings cross-offshore and it stays rideable. This is your window. For a newer surfer, 5ft might be a touch sporty, but for the rest of us, it’s a go.
After that, it’s back to the slop. Sunday the 13th through to Tuesday the 22nd is a desert. We’re looking at wave heights mostly under 3ft, with periods of 6 to 8 seconds. The energy is mostly in the weak range, between 23 and 94. There are a few mornings with offshore winds, like Tuesday the 16th, but the swell just isn’t there. It’s a long flat spell, with nothing but dribble.
Finally, on Wednesday the 23rd, the swell tries to push back in. The morning is surfable but ordinary: 3ft at ENE with an 8-second period and a clean light cross-offshore wind. The energy is a bit more moderate at 147. That’s a marginal wave, but Thursday the 24th is the real long-range highlight. The morning brings 4ft of ENE swell with a 9-second period, and the energy is up to 340. The wind is moderate offshore from the S, so it should be clean. The afternoon gets blown out by a fresh SSE breeze, so make the most of the morning. It’s a week and a half away, so don’t book the trip yet, but it’s promising.
So, bottom line: get out on Saturday morning the 12th, and maybe keep an eye on Thursday the 24th. Everything else is a flat, grovelly mess. The water temp here is 69°F, which is about normal for this time of year.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | ESE 12 | ENE 8 | SE 10 | E 9 | N 16 | E 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 10 | E 12 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 14 | 56 | 14 | 110 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 456 | 330 | 299 | 33 | 49 | 38 | 8 | 3 | 64 | 41 | 50 | 51 | 40 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 6:44PM1.77m | 7:05AM1.26m | 7:25PM1.76m | 7:46AM1.36m | 8:02PM1.69m | 8:25AM1.43m | 8:38PM1.58m | 9:03AM1.46m | 9:12PM1.44m | 9:41AM1.46m | 9:46PM1.29m | 10:20AM1.43m | 10:20PM1.14m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:11PM0.06m | 1:19AM0.03m | 12:58PM0.01m | 1:52AM0.00m | 1:42PM0.01m | 2:24AM-0.00m | 2:25PM0.04m | 2:54AM0.02m | 3:07PM0.12m | 3:23AM0.07m | 3:50PM0.21m | 3:53AM0.13m | 4:34PM0.32m | ||||||||
5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | |
— | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 18 | 16 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 8 | SE 10 | SSE 23 | E 14 | E 13 | E 14 | E 13 | SE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 |
380 | 304 | 222 | 14 | 110 | 50 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 299 | 172 | 166 | 129 | 82 | 83 | 64 | 41 | 50 | 51 | 40 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 12 | S 18 | E 9 | E 9 | E 13 | S 21 | NE 15 | S 19 | SSE 19 | E 6 | E 6 | SSE 18 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
14 | 14 | 56 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 37 | 33 | 49 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 80 | 78 | 62 | 56 | 32 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | SE 14 | E 8 | E 15 | E 15 | — | N 16 | S 22 | — | E 14 | E 13 | SSE 18 | SSE 19 | E 8 | SSE 16 | E 12 | SE 8 | NE 8 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 |
2 | 8 | 13 | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 9 | — | 4 | 13 | 66 | 74 | 6 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 6 | — | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | — | E 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 2 | — | 1140 | 1288 | 1020 | 666 | 541 | 456 | 330 | — | — | — | 38 | 50 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 229 | 0 | 257 | 274 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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.










