Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this stretch of the coast is in a bit of a flat spell for the first week. The swells are small, the wind is messy, and there’s nothing worth paddling out for until we get to the second week. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the models are showing a real pulse of energy coming through.

Woolgoolga Back Beach is the only break on the cards here, and it’s an exposed beach break that’s fairly consistent. Water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first surf worth mentioning doesn’t show up until Sunday the 2nd of August. Early morning, we’ve got a 5ft swell from the SE with a period of 12 seconds—that’s a solid groundswell with some real grunt. The energy is moderate (555). The wind is glassy, straight out of the SSW at only 3 mph, so the ocean will be clean as a whistle. This is a standout session. The swell direction (SE) is a good match for the optimum SE direction for this break. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have company, but it’s not a zoo. The 5ft is a nice size—comfortable for most surfers, not too big for beginners, but plenty of push.

Then Monday the 3rd of August morning also looks clean. Swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SE, 10-second period, with glassy conditions (0 mph wind). Energy is moderate (321). The waves will be good, but not as punchy as Sunday.

After that, the swell fades quickly through the 4th and 5th, with tiny, weak waves and cross-onshore winds. Not worth the drive.

Now, the real highlight comes on Friday the 7th of August. It’s a long way out, so treat this with a bit of caution, but the numbers are impressive. Early morning, we’ve got an 8ft swell from the SSE, period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is massive at 2218—that’s serious power. The wind is light cross-onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, but 8ft is expert territory. Beginners stay home. This is one for the experienced crew, and it’s described as “marginal” due to the wind, but the raw energy is there.

Saturday the 8th of August morning is a better bet for the rest of us. Swell drops to a still-chunky 6ft from the SE, 10-second period, with glassy S wind at 3 mph. Energy is strong (696). The combination of size and clean conditions makes this the standout of the entire outlook. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions,” and I’d be getting excited. Crowds are “sometimes,” so keep an eye out.

The 9th of August morning holds a 5ft SE swell with glassy winds again, but the energy is a notch lower. Still a good session, but Saturday is the one.

Into the second week, the swell backs off. The 10th and 11th show small, weak waves with offshore winds, so it’ll be clean but small. The 12th has a bit of a pulse from the east with a 11-second period, but the wind goes strong and cross, so it’s messy.

To wrap it up: the first week is a write-off—nothing from the 28th of July right through to the 1st of August. The real action kicks off on the 2nd, but the absolute best on offer is the glassy, 6ft session on Saturday the 8th of August. Sunday the 2nd is the other standout early call. If you’re chasing big waves, the 7th is there for the experts.

Rusty

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