Surf Forecasts:
Woolgoolga Back Beach surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, S swell with 354 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Woolgoolga Back Beach in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Woolgoolga Back Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Woolgoolga Back Beach. Truth is, it’s gonna be a quiet stretch for a while. The first solid opportunity we’ve got isn’t until the end of August, so don’t get your hopes up just yet.
We’ve got a long gap of almost no surf at all. From the 19th through to the 29th of August, it’s mostly small, weak, and messy. There’s a few sessions with tiny waves around 2 ft to 3 ft, but the combined energy is pathetic (40 to 181), and the wind is often cross or cross-onshore. The only real highlight in that early period is Wednesday morning the 20th—a tiny 4 ft ESE swell, but with a short period of just 7 seconds and a light NNW offshore breeze, it’s surfable but very ordinary. Not worth rushing out for.
The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about.
Then, finally, on Monday the 31st of August, we see a pulse of better energy. The morning brings a 5 ft SSE swell with a period of 11 seconds and combined energy climbing to 549 (moderate). The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy but rideable. This is the first real sign of life.
The standout for the entire forecast period is Tuesday the 1st of September. By the afternoon, we’ve got a solid 12 ft S swell, with a period of 13 seconds and combined energy absolutely pumping at 6735 (very strong). That’s a serious groundswell. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but the power is there. This is for experienced surfers only—12 ft is no joke. The morning of that day is also solid with a 8 ft SSE swell (2851 energy), but again, cross-shore wind.
Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon is a beauty. The swell drops a touch to 7 ft from the SSE, period of 12 seconds, and combined energy still strong at 1520. The wind swings light cross-off from the NNE, making for clean conditions. That’s the best window for the whole run—clean, powerful, and for the crew who know what they’re doing.
After that, Thursday the 3rd September sees a 8 ft SE swell in the morning, but with a cross-onshore wind, it’s choppy and messy. The afternoon is similar with 8 ft, but more cross-shore chop.
So, bottom line: if you’ve got patience, sit tight until the 31st of August, but the real gold is on the 1st and 2nd of September. High tide and a good paddle will be your friend. Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the NNE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | E 8 | NE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
108 | 229 | 146 | 97 | 60 | 35 | 42 | 30 | 75 | 49 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 45 | 113 | 116 | 156 | 50 | 182 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 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 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SE 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 6 |
108 | 181 | 146 | 97 | 60 | 35 | 42 | 30 | 40 | 49 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 45 | 13 | 116 | 80 | 50 | 88 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | E 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SE 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 |
62 | 10 | 9 | 24 | 26 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 38 | 33 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | — | — | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | S 12 | E 9 | E 8 | S 10 | S 9 | E 8 | S 6 | S 4 | SSE 11 | S 7 | SSE 11 | SE 5 | S 17 | S 16 |
3 | — | — | 19 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 43 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | E 7 | ENE 6 | NW 2 | NNW 3 | NE 4 | NNW 2 | — | NE 7 | — | S 3 | S 3 | — | NNW 3 | NE 8 | NNE 5 | NE 8 | NE 4 | NE 6 |
49 | 229 | 88 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 1 | — | 75 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 113 | 42 | 156 | 26 | 182 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 5 | 415 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 275 | 0 | 9 | 275 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











