Woolgoolga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this outlook for Woolgoolga is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a real slow start, a few windows of clean conditions, and then some solid, powerful swell showing up later on. Let’s walk through it.

First up, Friday morning the 4th of September. We’ve got tiny 1ft swell from the SE, with a period of 10 seconds and weak combined energy (51). The wind is a cross-off from the S at 9 mph, which keeps the surface clean, but the waves are just too small to get excited about – it’s surfable, but ordinary. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We then hit a big dry spell. From Friday afternoon right through to the end of Sunday, the 6th of September, it’s all poor surf conditions. The swell stays tiny, mostly under 2ft, and the wind is messy with onshore or cross-shore components. Don’t bother paddling out.

Then, Monday morning the 7th of September, we get a glimmer of hope. The swell picks up to 4ft from the SSE, period 11 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 360 (moderate). The real magic here is the wind – it’s glassy, with a 3 mph SE breeze. That’s an absolute treat. The waves will be clean and the sets will have some push. This is the standout for the first week. The break is a mix of beach and reef, pretty exposed to the SSE swell, so it’s an advanced wave. Be aware that crowds are possible here.

The rest of that day and into Tuesday morning, the 8th, the swell builds but the wind gets ugly. Tuesday morning has 7ft from the SSE, period 8 seconds, with a strong 19 mph cross-off wind from the S. The combined energy is 715 (strong) – but with that short period, it’ll be a lumpy, choppy mess. Tuesday afternoon sees 8ft but the wind swings cross-shore, making it worse.

We get another brief window on Wednesday morning, the 9th. Swell is 6ft from the SSE, period 11 seconds, and the combined energy is 708 (strong). The wind is light cross-on from the NNE at 6 mph, so there will be a few ripples on the surface, but it’s still rideable. The sets will have some shape. But by afternoon, the wind turns onshore and it’s back to poor conditions.

Thursday the 10th is a write-off. The swell is 8ft to 10ft from the SSE, with strong winds of 25 mph. The combined energy is massive (807 to 1253), but the wave comment says it’s too big for this break. This is strictly for the experts, and honestly, with that wind, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

Friday the 11th of September – now we’re talking. The morning has a 7ft SSE swell, a long period of 14 seconds, and a combined energy of 1917 (very strong). The wind is a clean cross-off from the SW at 12 mph. This is a serious groundswell. The wave quality is marginal, but with that wind and power, it’s going to be thumping. The long period means it’ll break a bit straight on the beach sections, but the reef parts of Woolgoolga will handle it well. This is the other standout of the whole forecast. The water is still average temp for the season.

Saturday the 12th sees the swell drop to 5ft, still clean cross-off wind, but the energy is 608 (moderate). It’s surfable, but not the standout.

From Sunday the 13th onward, it’s mostly poor again. The swell drops below 3ft, the wind is onshore, and there’s no energy. We get a few days of tiny, weak waves.

Then, late in the second week, around Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th of September, we see another big pulse. Friday morning has 8ft from the SSE with a 14-second period and a combined energy of 2003 (very strong). The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW at 22 mph. Again, powerful, but it’s a strong breeze – the wave will be big and gnarly, for experts only. Saturday morning, the 19th, is similar at 7ft with a 14-second period, but the wind is lighter and cross-shore, making it a bit lumpy. This is a promising long-range call, but it’s over a week away, so don’t book the trip just yet.

So, to sum it up: the best bets are Monday morning the 7th for clean, glassy fun, and Friday morning the 11th for the big, powerful groundswell. The rest of the time is either flat, windy, or too big. Keep an eye on that second week, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more