
Surf Forecasts:
Wollongong North Beach surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, ENE swell with 338 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Wollongong North Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Wollongong North Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wollongong North Beach in the next 16 days are 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 12s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wollongong North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Wollongong North Beach.
Straight up, it’s a quiet start, real quiet. The first few days through to the end of July are mostly small and messy, with only tiny scraps of swell. The combined energy is weak, down around 30 to 8 (30 is weak, 8 is barely there), so you’re not missing much. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is about a degree warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing wild, just a bit of a pleasant surprise.
Tuesday 21st July has a 4ft ENE swell with a short 10-second period, but the wind is cross-on from the NNW at 6 mph, so it’s choppy and poor. Wednesday 22nd is a bit better: the swell drops to 3ft, but we get a glassy afternoon with WSW 3 mph winds, making it clean and surfable, though still ordinary. Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th are tiny, with swell dropping to 1ft or less, and the combined energy is just 30 to 0. Not worth paddling out.
The weekend of 25th and 26th July is a write-off – swell is 1.0ft or less, and the energy is in the single digits. Monday 27th through to Thursday 30th is even worse, with 0.3ft swell and periods of 14 to 18 seconds, but absolutely no size. The combined energy never gets above 10. Glassy mornings on the 27th and 30th, but there’s nothing to ride.
Now, Friday 31st July shows a tiny bump: 1ft ESE swell with a 10-second period, and a clean offshore SSW wind in the morning at 6 mph. The combined energy is 49, still weak, but it’s surfable – very ordinary though.
The real standout arrives on Saturday 1st August. That morning, Wollongong North Beach gets a 5ft SE swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 377 – moderate, definitely pushing strong. The wind is glassy, calm at 0 mph from the NE. This is the best of the entire outlook. The swell direction is ENE, which matches the optimum direction for this break, so expect clean, lined-up waves. It’s a bit much for beginners at 5ft, but fine for intermediate and up. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so expect a few out.
Sunday 2nd August sees the swell drop to 4ft but with a 12 mph SSW cross-off wind, making it clean but weaker in energy (189). Monday 3rd is ruined by onshore rain and wind, and the rest of the first week of August fades back to small, ordinary conditions.
So, if you’re hanging for a wave, mark Saturday 1st August on your calendar. That morning is the clear winner. The rest of the 16-day window is a long stretch of flat or marginal days, with the best being just “surfable but ordinary.” Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it’s been a quiet run, but that Saturday morning could be a cracker.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the W by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | E 18 | SE 14 | SE 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
331 | 269 | 218 | 179 | 175 | 103 | 94 | 73 | 32 | 29 | 0 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:53PM1.26m | 1:54AM1.01m | 2:46PM1.28m | 3:01AM0.92m | 3:41PM1.29m | 4:12AM0.88m | 4:35PM1.32m | 5:18AM0.88m | 5:25PM1.37m | 6:11AM0.91m | 6:11PM1.42m | 6:56AM0.95m | 6:53PM1.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:15PM0.49m | 7:57AM0.39m | 9:28PM0.50m | 8:45AM0.45m | 10:38PM0.47m | 9:39AM0.49m | 11:37PM0.42m | 10:35AM0.49m | 00:26AM0.36m | 11:28AM0.47m | 1:07AM0.30m | 12:15PM0.44m | 1:45AM0.24m | ||||||||
6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
— | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 13 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 |
331 | 269 | 218 | 179 | 175 | 103 | 94 | 73 | 120 | 292 | 201 | 721 | 426 | 214 | 181 | 302 | 296 | 173 | 126 | 90 | 32 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 14 | S 10 |
35 | 31 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 38 | 32 | 29 | 132 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | S 12 | — | S 5 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 7 | SSE 17 | — | — | E 9 | E 9 | N 9 | — | — | E 18 | NE 7 | SE 16 |
21 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 93 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 6 | 2 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | NE 4 | NNW 2 | — | — | W 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 3 | — | — | — | W 3 | — | WNW 3 |
5 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 7 | 8 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 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.










