
Surf Forecasts:
Wollongong North Beach surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period, ENE swell with 29 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Wollongong North Beach this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Wollongong North Beach in the next 16 days are 0.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wollongong North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for Wollongong North Beach. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any swell to speak of until things finally wake up. The first decent pulse doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 4th of August, and even then it’s messy. The real standout comes later, so let’s get into it.
For the first week or so, from Friday the 24th of July right through to Monday the 3rd of August, it’s pretty flat. We’re talking tiny dribbles of swell – mostly around 0.3ft to 1ft – with a mix of short-period windswell and some long-period groundswell that just doesn’t have the height to do anything. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only interesting thing. Winds are light and variable, with some glassy moments, but there’s nothing to ride. It’s a big gap of nearly 11 days with no real surf on offer.
Then we get a little flutter on Tuesday the 4th of August. A pulse of 5ft swell from the ESE starts to show up, but it’s a short period of 7 seconds and the wind is cross to cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. The combined energy is moderate though, hitting 260 (moderate wave energy). It’s really only kite-surfing territory for that day – the beach break setup with poor quality and onshore wind just isn’t worth paddling into.
Wednesday the 5th of August cleans up a bit with a cross-offshore breeze from the SSE, and the swell drops slightly to 4ft from the ESE, period still a short 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (194). You could find a few waves, but it’s very ordinary. Not one to get excited about.
Now, here’s where it gets good. Thursday the 6th of August is the first real standout. The morning brings a clean 6ft swell from the ESE with a 10-second period, and a solid offshore wind from the SSW. The combined energy jumps to 659 (strong wave energy). This is proper groundswell, and with offshore wind, Wollongong North Beach will have some nice, clean lines. It’s not too big for advanced surfers, but at 6ft, beginners might find it a bit much. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-offshore breeze, but the energy spikes to 1231 (very strong wave energy) – though the period stretches to 14 seconds, which can make the sets a bit more spaced out and the waves might break a bit straighter on a beach break. Still, it’s a cracking day.
But the absolute best on offer is Friday the 7th of August. The morning is glassy – dead calm with a 7ft ESE swell and a 13-second period. The combined energy is a massive 1465 (very strong wave energy). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It’s a solid groundswell with clean, glassy conditions. The long period means there’s plenty of power and the sets will have nice gaps between them, making the paddle out easier. For a beach break, that long period can sometimes make the waves a bit too straight, but with this size and glassy conditions, it’s going to be a ripper. Just be aware that this spot can get crowded sometimes, so get in early.
Saturday the 8th of August is a step down but still fun. The morning is glassy again with a 4ft ESE swell at 11 seconds, energy at 374 (moderate wave energy). It’s a good, clean option for a more relaxed session, but the afternoon turns onshore and messy.
So, to wrap it up: the first week is a bust. The standout is Friday the 7th of August – glassy, 7ft groundswell, and very strong energy. Thursday the 6th is also a cracker with offshore winds. Don’t bother before that.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 18 | SE 14 | SE 16 | SE 15 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SSE 6 | E 12 | E 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 4:35PM1.32m | 5:18AM0.88m | 5:25PM1.37m | 6:11AM0.91m | 6:11PM1.42m | 6:56AM0.95m | 6:53PM1.47m | 7:36AM0.99m | 7:32PM1.52m | 8:13AM1.04m | 8:09PM1.55m | 8:49AM1.08m | 8:44PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:37PM0.42m | 10:35AM0.49m | 00:26AM0.36m | 11:28AM0.47m | 1:07AM0.30m | 12:15PM0.44m | 1:45AM0.24m | 12:58PM0.40m | 2:20AM0.20m | 1:39PM0.36m | 2:54AM0.16m | 2:18PM0.34m | 3:26AM0.14m | ||||||||
6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 4 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 12 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 7 | E 6 | SSE 17 | SSE 6 | S 8 | SSE 12 |
196 | 657 | 1009 | 441 | 260 | 345 | 470 | 308 | 225 | 175 | 145 | 79 | 34 | 22 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 85 | 144 | 228 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 14 | SE 16 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | SE 13 | S 18 | SE 13 | S 10 | SSE 13 | E 13 |
29 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 53 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | SSE 19 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | — | S 14 | SE 18 | NE 8 | E 8 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | S 17 | SE 13 | E 13 | SSE 15 | E 12 | E 8 |
7 | 37 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 46 | 3 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | — | WNW 3 | W 3 | — | WSW 3 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | NNE 4 | WNW 2 | SW 3 | S 8 | SSE 7 | — | — | — |
1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 9 | 1 | 2 | 279 | 139 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 208 | 76 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Wollongong North Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Wollongong North Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Wollongong North Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Wollongong North Beach 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 (Wollongong North Beach) 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 Wollongong North Beach 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Illawarra? If you are looking for accommodation near Wollongong North Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Illawarra, consider staying in Wollongong which is 3 km (2 miles) away. Other places in and around Illawarra where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Port Kembla which is 9 km (6 miles) away, Engadine, Cronulla and Caringbah.










