Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty.

Right off the bat, this stretch is looking pretty slim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of small, weak surf here at Woolgoolga Back Beach, and honestly, most of the next week or so is going to be a battle for a half-decent wave. You’ll be staring at gutless peaks and clean but empty lineups. The water temp is sitting at 67°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer of hope is this coming Wednesday morning, the 19th. It’s not huge, but we’ve got a 4ft ESE swell with 8-second period. The energy is weak, sitting at 299, but the wind is glassy out of the SSE. It’s going to be clean and small, perfect for a beginner on a foamie. It’s a far cry from epic, but it’s the best we’ll see for a while. The afternoon bumps up to 5ft with a touch more period, but the wind swings onshore and the forecast is a bit ordinary.

From Thursday through to the following Tuesday, it’s a write-off. We’re looking at a few days of tiny, weak surf, then a drop-off to nearly nothing. The swell drops to under 3ft and the energy just dies. You’ll have clean conditions, but you’ll be bobbing around hoping for a dribble. We’re talking about a solid 7-day flat spell here, from the 21st right through to the 26th. Not worth getting wet for.

Then, on Thursday the 27th morning, things finally start to wake up. The wind goes glassy and we get a 4ft SSE swell with a better 8-second period. The energy jumps to 205, and it’s got that morning glass all over it. It’s still not big, but it’ll be surfable and clean. The following morning, Friday the 28th, is similar, with 3ft and a light offshore, but the energy is weaker. It’s just your basic, everyday surf.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The last couple of days of August see a serious pulse of energy, but it comes with a big caveat. On the morning of Sunday the 30th, the swell jumps to 8ft from the south, and the energy reading is a massive 1503. But the wind is howling from the SW at 25 km/h, putting a nasty cross-chop on the face. It’s powerful, but messy. That afternoon, the wind cranks up to 40 km/h, and it’s all over.

The next morning, Monday the 31st, is the biggest we see. We get an 8ft SSE groundswell with a long 13-second period, and the energy is monstrous at 2030. But again, the wind is blowing a solid 35 km/h cross-onshore. It’s lumpy, bumpy, and pretty much unsurfable for anyone but the most desperate. At this size, it’s expert-only anyway, and with that wind, it’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle-surfing one. That day is not for the faint-hearted.

Looking into the first week of September, it’s a slow, messy drop-off. The swell backs down from 6ft on Tuesday the 1st, but it’s still carrying that onshore wind, so it’ll be choppy. The energy drops day by day, and it just looks pretty average.

So, to be honest, the standout windows in this whole 16-day outlook are the glassy mornings on the 19th and particularly the 27th. They are the only times where the wind is truly in our favor and there are enough waves to make it worth your while. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or simply too big and blown out. It’s a patchy run, but the good news is you know it won’t stay this bad forever. Forecasts change.

Stay salty.

Rusty

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