Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on offer at Woolgoolga Back Beach over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it’s a pretty lean run. This spot is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent beach break that’s exposed to swell from the southeast. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

We start off with a bit of a slow burn. Right from Thursday the 3rd through to Sunday the 6th, there’s barely a ripple worth mentioning. The swell’s tiny, under 3 ft, and the winds are all over the shop – cross-off, cross-on, onshore – but the real killer is that the wave energy is weak, in the 60 to 114 range. It’s just poor surf conditions across the board. You’re better off waiting.

Monday the 7th morning is the first time we see a glimmer. It’s glassy – that’s a beauty – with a light northeast breeze, and the swell’s pushing 3 ft from the SSE, though the period is only 10 seconds, so it’s a bit short and fat. The energy bumps up to 199 (moderate), but it’s still described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” For a beginner break, it’s maybe just about rideable, but I wouldn’t get too excited.

Tuesday the 8th sees a jump in size – 7 ft to 7 ft from the SSE – but the wind swings south and cross-on, making it choppy. The energy is strong (491 to 685), but the quality is poor. That size is starting to get a bit much for beginners anyway.

Now, the one standout in the whole outlook is Wednesday morning the 9th. It’s glassy again, with a light NNE breeze, and the swell sits at 4 ft from the SSE, but the period is only 8 seconds, so it’s a bit lumpy in shape. Still, the energy is pumping at 397 (moderate), and the conditions are described as “expect good surf conditions.” That’s the best we’ve got. The wind is totally clean, and for a beginner break, that 4 ft is a nice size – not too big, not too small. Crowds can show up here sometimes, so keep that in mind, but if you’re keen, that Wednesday morning is the pick. The swell direction (SSE) matches the optimum (SE) reasonably well too.

After that, things get messy. From Thursday the 10th onward, we get bigger swell – up to 8 ft on Thursday afternoon – but it’s all cross-on south winds and choppy, lumpy conditions. The energy spikes to 1262 (very strong) on Thursday afternoon, but that’s only interesting if you’re an expert on a big board, and even then, the quality is poor. For a beach break, that much chop and cross-wind just makes it a mess.

Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th see the swell drop back to 3 ft to 4 ft, but the wind stays cross-on, and the conditions are marginal at best. Sunday the 13th morning has a clean offshore from the north with 3 ft swell, but the energy is only 204, and it’s still described as marginal. There’s a long gap of several days after that – from Monday the 14th all the way to Friday the 18th – where the swell is tiny, under 3 ft, with weak energy in the 30 to 72 range. Winds are cross-off or cross-on, but the wave height is just too small to surf.

So, bottom line: the only real shot at a decent session is Wednesday morning the 9th when it’s glassy and chest-high. The rest of the forecast is a mix of small, weak, or windy conditions. It’s not a total write-off, but you’ll have to be patient.

– Rusty

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