Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got a look at what’s coming up for Woolgoolga Back Beach.

Honestly, mate, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. The next week and a half is looking more like a waiting game than anything you’d want to paddle out into. We’ve got a lot of days with poor surf conditions and a whole heap of cross-onshore wind messing things up. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

Let’s run through it. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are write-offs with strong Southerly winds and ugly, choppy surf. Monday the 17th has some chest-high swell at 5 ft from the SE, but the wind is straight onshore and the conditions are marginal at best – it’s a pass for me. That same story pretty much holds through to Wednesday the 19th, with the swell dropping and a lot of rain showers keeping things messy.

Now, Thursday the 20th is where we get a little window. The swell drops to 4 ft from the ESE, but the wind goes glassy in the morning and then swings light cross-offshore from the NNE in the arvo. That combination is your best bet for a clean wave this whole week. The combined energy is moderate (228 in the morning, 284 in the afternoon), so it won’t be a powerhouse, but it’ll be rideable and clean.

After that, it fades out again. We get a few days of clean conditions with offshore wind on the 22nd, but the swell drops right off – under 3 ft – and the wave energy is weak. Not worth a dash.

The second week is even more of a mixed bag. There’s a pulse of bigger southerly swell kicking in from the 27th of August, with waves hitting 8 ft and then 12 ft to 13 ft on the 28th. The combined swell energy is massive – we’re talking 3868 and even over 9000 on the Friday afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving. But here’s the thing: the wind is hammering from the S and SSE, cross-onshore, making it choppy and lumpy. That much swell with that wind is just a washing machine, and definitely only for very experienced surfers, if anyone at all. It’s one of those days that probably looks more interesting for the kite crew than for paddling.

So, to put it plainly, the standout is Thursday, August 20th. That morning glass-off and the light offshore arvo session is where you want to be. The rest of the run is sketchy, with big gaps of poor conditions. For the big swell at the end of the month, the wind just doesn’t play ball. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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