Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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