Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at what’s on offer for Woolgoolga Back Beach over the next couple of weeks. It’s a beach break that’s exposed to swell, beginner-friendly, and fairly consistent. The water temp is sittin’ around 68°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so nothin’ wild there.

Right off the bat, Tuesday the 4th kicks off with a tiny 2ft ESE swell and a cross-off wind, but the energy is weak (64) and the waves are just poor. Nothin’ worth paddlin’ out for. Wednesday morning the 5th is a tease – glassy conditions, 2ft from the east with a period of 10 seconds, and the energy bumps up to a moderate 102. The report says surfable but ordinary, and I’d say it’s a small window for a longboard or a foiler if you’re desperate, but it’s nothin’ to get excited about. The afternoon turns cross-on and choppy, so that’s that.

Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are a write-off – poor conditions, small swell, and onshore or cross-on winds. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th see a little more size, with 2ft to 3ft east swell, but the wind is messy. Sunday morning the 9th has a clean cross-off wind and 3ft east swell with 9-second period, energy at 178 (moderate), but it’s still just ordinary. Monday the 10th has a similar story: 4ft in the morning with a clean cross-off, but the afternoon goes cross-on.

Tuesday the 11th morning is the first real glimmer – 3ft east swell, 9-second period, light offshore wind from the NW, and the energy is moderate (135). The report says surfable but ordinary. It’s small, clean, and might be worth a session if you’re keen for a quiet paddle. The afternoon gets blown out by a NE wind.

Then there’s a gap. Wednesday the 12th is small and ordinary again. Thursday the 13th sees a jump in size – 8ft from the south in the morning, but the wind is cross-on and the conditions are marginal. The energy is a massive 1551 (very strong), but that’s a messy, powerful wave for a beach break. Not ideal for beginners; this is pushin’ into expert territory at 8ft, and the period is 10 seconds, so it’s a groundswell but not super long. Friday the 14th morning is the standout of the whole outlook. Glassy conditions, 8ft from the SSE, 10-second period, and the energy is a huge 1219 (very strong). The report says excellent for experienced surfers. This is big, clean, and powerful – but it’s over 8ft, so only for the crew with serious skills. The direction is SSE, which is close to the optimum SE for this break, so it’ll line up nicely. The afternoon turns cross-on and drops in quality.

From Saturday the 15th through to Wednesday the 19th, the swell hangs around 6ft to 8ft from the SE and SSE, but the wind is onshore or cross-on, and the conditions are marginal at best. The energy stays strong (into the thousands), but the chop and wind ruin it. Wednesday the 19th morning has a bit of promise with 8ft SE swell and a light cross-on wind, energy at 1057 (very strong), but it’s still cross-on. The period is 9-10 seconds, so it’s not a clean long-period groundswell that’d be ideal for a beach break.

So, the clear winner is Friday the 14th morning. That’s the one to circle. Glassy, big, powerful, and the swell angle is right. Thursday the 13th morning is a backup if you can handle the cross-on wind, but it’s a step down. For the rest? It’s mostly a wait-and-see, with plenty of gaps in good quality. The break is fairly consistent, so it won’t stay poor forever, but this run has a lot of ordinary days.

Rusty.

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