Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty.

Right, let's be straight with you—the outlook for Woolgoolga Back Beach is a real mixed bag. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but don't get your hopes up for the first week and a half. It's a long, frustrating stretch of grotty conditions. The water's sitting at 67°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

The first real chance of anything decent doesn't show up until later. Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th are a complete write-off – poor surf with cross-off winds. Tuesday the 11th morning has a tiny 2ft swell from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is light, but the vibe is "surfable but very ordinary." The combined energy is weak (155). Not worth paddling out for.

Wednesday the 12th is much the same. The morning has a 2ft swell from the E with a 9-second period and light cross-off winds, but again, it's ordinary. The afternoon goes glassy, which is nice, but the swell is still just 2ft. The energy is low (125). It's a beautiful day for a swim, not a surf.

From Thursday the 13th through to the end of the first week, it's all poor surf. Winds turn onshore and the swell gets messy. Friday the 14th morning does see a jump in size to 7ft from the S with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is strong (1131), but it's cross-on and choppy. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The second week starts the same way. Monday the 18th and Tuesday the 19th have some solid swell (6ft to 8ft from the ESE) but it's all onshore and rainy. The 8ft on Wednesday the 19th afternoon is only for experts, and it's still messy.

Now, finally, a glimmer of hope. After a week and a half of garbage, we get a standout. Friday morning, the 21st of August. This is the one. The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror. We've got a 6ft swell from the E with a 10-second period. The combined energy is strong (616). The water will be clean, and the conditions are tipped to be "very good." This is the best on offer. The swell direction of E is right on the optimum for this spot, so the waves should have some shape.

The following day, Saturday morning the 22nd of August, is also a standout. We've got a 7ft swell from the E with a 10-second period, and the wind is offshore from the NNW. This will be clean and strong. The energy is powerful (860). This is another excellent window. The swell is over 5ft, so it's getting a bit more serious, but for anyone comfortable in that size, it's a goer.

The rest of the weekend into Monday the 24th holds some size, but the winds are mixed. The swell is consistent, between 5ft and 8ft from the E, but the conditions are just "clean" or "cross-off." It's worth a look, but Friday and Saturday mornings are the clear winners.

So, to sum it up: endure a long, dry spell of poor surf, then get set for the 21st and 22nd of August. That's your window.

Rusty.

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