Surf Forecasts:
Woolgoolga Back Beach surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, S swell with 561 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Woolgoolga Back Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Woolgoolga Back Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Woolgoolga Back Beach in the next 16 days are 1.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Woolgoolga Back Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this 16-day window for Woolgoolga Back Beach is a tough one to call a proper surf outlook. There are no real standout days where everything lines up perfectly, but there are a few windows where you could get wet if you’re keen. Let’s run through it.
The first few days are pretty average. Thursday the 13th starts off with a 4ft S swell at a short 8 seconds (318 combined energy), and that light cross-on wind is messy. By the afternoon it’s onshore and rough. Friday the 14th has a bit more energy in the water—6ft S swell with moderate combined energy (760), but that cross-on wind chops it up. Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th are a write-off with strong onshore winds and rain, swell under 6ft but messy. The whole first week is largely poor surf conditions, mostly onshore winds and choppy.
We hit a bit of a gap from about the 17th through to the 19th—still poor, wind-affected, rain showers. Not worth paddling out.
Now, here’s where it gets slightly interesting. On Thursday the 20th, we get a morning window with a 4ft SE swell (7 sec period, 233 combined energy) and glassy conditions. That’s the first decent chance for clean waves, but it’s small. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are small (2ft to 3ft) with cleaner conditions thanks to offshore light breezes, but the swell’s weak.
The best of the bunch looks like Sunday the 23rd. We’ve got a 4ft E swell (9 sec period, 212 combined energy) with glassy morning conditions. That’s the standout—clean, glassy, and the swell is from the east, which is a touch off optimum for this exposed SE spot, but it’s workable. The period is a solid 9 seconds, so the waves should have a bit of shape. Combined energy is moderate at 212. The water temp is about average for this time of year at 67°, no real anomaly. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, fairly consistent, so it won’t be too intimidating. Keep in mind, crowds are sometimes around, so you might have company.
After that, Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are small again (2ft to 3ft) but glassy in the mornings. By Wednesday the 26th, it drops to tiny 2ft with very weak energy (49). Then from Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th, a late-arriving longer-period SSE swell (14 sec, 647 combined energy) shows up, but it’s blown out by strong cross-on winds (22-28 mph). That’s more of a kite session than a paddle.
So, if you are picking a session, Sunday morning the 23rd is your best bet for a clean, small wave. Otherwise, glassy mornings on the 20th, 24th, and 25th are worth a look if you’re desperate. The long-range stuff late in the window is promising but messy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
198 | 232 | 373 | 480 | 197 | 264 | 108 | 91 | 149 | 187 | 234 | 336 | 330 | 329 | 287 | 279 | 287 | 202 | 193 | 183 | 224 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 8:34PM1.80m | 9:03AM1.28m | 9:16PM1.71m | 9:46AM1.32m | 9:55PM1.58m | 10:29AM1.34m | 10:34PM1.42m | 11:12AM1.33m | 11:12PM1.24m | 11:58AM1.31m | 11:53PM1.08m | 12:49PM1.27m | 00:41AM0.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:04PM0.02m | 3:09AM-0.05m | 2:51PM0.04m | 3:45AM-0.03m | 3:38PM0.10m | 4:20AM0.02m | 4:25PM0.20m | 4:53AM0.10m | 5:13PM0.30m | 5:26AM0.18m | 6:07PM0.41m | 6:02AM0.26m | 7:10PM0.50m | ||||||||
6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | E 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | E 9 | SSE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 7 | E 10 | E 9 | SSE 18 | S 17 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 |
77 | 41 | 231 | 254 | 26 | 125 | 27 | 15 | 149 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 6 | 329 | 287 | 279 | 287 | 202 | 193 | 183 | 224 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | S 21 | E 9 | E 9 | S 19 | E 9 | S 15 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 18 | SSE 18 | S 14 | SSW 17 | S 16 | S 13 | E 15 | ESE 13 | ESE 11 | SE 10 | E 9 | ENE 8 |
43 | 8 | 27 | 26 | 7 | 26 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 32 | 62 | 4 | 56 | 5 | 31 | 4 | 17 | 40 | 25 | 60 | 73 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | S 21 | N 7 | N 7 | NE 9 | S 6 | N 8 | S 19 | SSE 18 | ESE 8 | — | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 11 | SE 12 | S 12 | SE 13 | SE 11 | E 10 | S 10 | E 11 |
2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 34 | 6 | — | 3 | 51 | 43 | 6 | 26 | 40 | 59 | 18 | 8 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 8 | — | — |
198 | 232 | 373 | 480 | 197 | 264 | 108 | 91 | 54 | 187 | 234 | 336 | 330 | — | — | — | — | — | 165 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 78 | 0 | 1 | 78 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 78 | 78 | 28 | 105 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Woolgoolga Back Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Woolgoolga Back Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Woolgoolga Back Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Woolgoolga Back Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Woolgoolga Back Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Woolgoolga Back Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.











