Surf Forecasts:
Woolgoolga Back Beach surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, E swell with 343 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Woolgoolga Back Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Woolgoolga Back Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Woolgoolga Back Beach in the next 16 days are 1.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Woolgoolga Back Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty.
Right off the bat, this stretch is looking pretty slim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of small, weak surf here at Woolgoolga Back Beach, and honestly, most of the next week or so is going to be a battle for a half-decent wave. You’ll be staring at gutless peaks and clean but empty lineups. The water temp is sitting at 67°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real glimmer of hope is this coming Wednesday morning, the 19th. It’s not huge, but we’ve got a 4ft ESE swell with 8-second period. The energy is weak, sitting at 299, but the wind is glassy out of the SSE. It’s going to be clean and small, perfect for a beginner on a foamie. It’s a far cry from epic, but it’s the best we’ll see for a while. The afternoon bumps up to 5ft with a touch more period, but the wind swings onshore and the forecast is a bit ordinary.
From Thursday through to the following Tuesday, it’s a write-off. We’re looking at a few days of tiny, weak surf, then a drop-off to nearly nothing. The swell drops to under 3ft and the energy just dies. You’ll have clean conditions, but you’ll be bobbing around hoping for a dribble. We’re talking about a solid 7-day flat spell here, from the 21st right through to the 26th. Not worth getting wet for.
Then, on Thursday the 27th morning, things finally start to wake up. The wind goes glassy and we get a 4ft SSE swell with a better 8-second period. The energy jumps to 205, and it’s got that morning glass all over it. It’s still not big, but it’ll be surfable and clean. The following morning, Friday the 28th, is similar, with 3ft and a light offshore, but the energy is weaker. It’s just your basic, everyday surf.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The last couple of days of August see a serious pulse of energy, but it comes with a big caveat. On the morning of Sunday the 30th, the swell jumps to 8ft from the south, and the energy reading is a massive 1503. But the wind is howling from the SW at 25 km/h, putting a nasty cross-chop on the face. It’s powerful, but messy. That afternoon, the wind cranks up to 40 km/h, and it’s all over.
The next morning, Monday the 31st, is the biggest we see. We get an 8ft SSE groundswell with a long 13-second period, and the energy is monstrous at 2030. But again, the wind is blowing a solid 35 km/h cross-onshore. It’s lumpy, bumpy, and pretty much unsurfable for anyone but the most desperate. At this size, it’s expert-only anyway, and with that wind, it’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle-surfing one. That day is not for the faint-hearted.
Looking into the first week of September, it’s a slow, messy drop-off. The swell backs down from 6ft on Tuesday the 1st, but it’s still carrying that onshore wind, so it’ll be choppy. The energy drops day by day, and it just looks pretty average.
So, to be honest, the standout windows in this whole 16-day outlook are the glassy mornings on the 19th and particularly the 27th. They are the only times where the wind is truly in our favor and there are enough waves to make it worth your while. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or simply too big and blown out. It’s a patchy run, but the good news is you know it won’t stay this bad forever. Forecasts change.
Stay salty.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 10 | E 9 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
183 | 365 | 343 | 186 | 128 | 97 | 61 | 35 | 41 | 30 | 35 | 26 | 40 | 29 | 31 | 49 | 93 | 83 | 87 | 161 | 122 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 12:49PM1.27m | 00:41AM0.94m | 1:49PM1.23m | 1:46AM0.84m | 2:58PM1.23m | 3:12AM0.80m | 4:07PM1.26m | 4:31AM0.82m | 5:04PM1.33m | 5:29AM0.88m | 5:51PM1.41m | 6:14AM0.95m | 6:31PM1.49m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:10PM0.50m | 6:44AM0.35m | 8:31PM0.55m | 7:39AM0.41m | 10:01PM0.53m | 8:51AM0.44m | 11:11PM0.47m | 10:03AM0.42m | 00:00AM0.39m | 11:03AM0.36m | 00:38AM0.31m | 11:51AM0.29m | 1:11AM0.22m | ||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
183 | 365 | 121 | 186 | 128 | 97 | 61 | 35 | 41 | 30 | 35 | 26 | 40 | 29 | 31 | 49 | 8 | 83 | 87 | 161 | 122 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ENE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | E 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 |
112 | 34 | 64 | 10 | 10 | 19 | 26 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 10 | E 13 | — | — | SSE 8 | S 13 | E 10 | E 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 4 | SE 6 | S 7 | SSE 7 | S 9 | S 16 | SSE 5 | S 15 | S 15 | S 10 |
4 | 29 | 3 | — | — | 24 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 9 | — | NE 3 | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | NE 4 | NNW 2 | — | — | SSW 4 | S 4 | SSE 4 | — | — | ENE 8 | NNW 2 | N 3 | NE 5 | NW 3 |
— | — | 343 | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 93 | 1 | 4 | 152 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 5 | 415 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 46 | 7 | 105 | 5 | 5 | 340 | 0 | 76 | 121 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Woolgoolga Back Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Woolgoolga Back Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Woolgoolga Back 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 (Woolgoolga Back 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 Woolgoolga Back 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.











