Woolgoolga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the Woolgoolga stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, this run is a bit of a slow burner. The first week is pretty ordinary and offers very little for the average surfer, with a few flashes of hope that don’t fully deliver. But the back half of the outlook, especially the second week, has some serious size and power on the cards. The standout window is the period around the 17th and 18th of September, but there’s a catch – that swell is going to be massive, and it’s a spot that’s advanced and exposed, so it’s only for the experienced crew.

We kick off on Saturday the 5th of September with tiny, weak surf. The morning has a pathetic 2ft swell from the south with a short 9-second period, and the combined energy is a measly 87. It’s cross-shore with a light breeze, but the water temp is around 68°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year. The afternoon gets a bit of a bump but it’s a short-period, choppy mess from the north-east. The whole weekend is a write-off.

Sunday the 6th is even worse in the morning – 1ft from the east. The afternoon cranks up to 5ft but it’s a short, lumpy SSE windswell (period only 5 seconds) and the energy is moderate at 160. It’s not surfable.

Monday the 7th of September is where things finally get interesting. The morning session has a clean 6ft swell from the SSE with a decent 10-second period. The combined energy jumps to 627 (moderate-strong), and with a light offshore breeze from the south (cross-off), it’s described as clean and showing very good surf conditions. This is the first real window worth paddling out for. The afternoon goes onshore and choppy again, so get out early.

Tuesday the 8th is a letdown – the morning is clean but tiny (2ft), and the afternoon has 6ft of lumpy, cross-shore junk.

Wednesday the 9th to Friday the 11th offer a mix of marginal conditions. The morning of the 9th has an onshore wind and a 6ft SSE swell, but the 6 mph ENE breeze is barely there, and it’s marked as questionable. The morning of the 11th (Friday) is clean with 4ft from the SSE and a long 11-second period, energy at 755 – that’s a solid moderate groundswell, but the score is only marginal. The wind is a cross-off from the south, so it’s clean but the wave quality isn’t quite there.

The weekend of the 12th and 13th is again marginal, with small clean swells and light winds, but nothing to get excited about. The 14th and 15th are just poor – small, onshore, and choppy.

Now, here’s the big news. The 17th and 18th of September are the real headline. On Thursday the 17th, the morning shows a massive 10ft swell from the SSE with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is a monstrous 3913 – that is strong to very strong wave energy. The wind is light and cross-on from the east, but the forecast says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is advanced and exposed, and with 10ft, it’s definitely only for experts. The afternoon holds similar size at 10ft with a 14-second period. Friday the 18th morning is glassy – wind from the east-southeast at 6 mph, with a 10ft groundswell from the SE at 16 seconds and energy at 4075. That’s a serious, clean, powerful day, but again, it’s too big for the average punter. The long period (over 15 seconds) means the waves will be very straight and powerful – better for a reef or point, and Woolgoolga is a beach and reef setup, so it could be a bit of a washing machine.

The 20th of September (Sunday) cleans up a bit with a 7ft swell from the south, a 9-second period, and a cross-off wind from the SSW. The energy is 1208 (strong), and the conditions are clean. That’s a more manageable size for an advanced surfer, but still a solid plus day.

So, the best bet on offer? Monday morning the 7th of September. That’s the cleanest, most usable surf for the average to advanced surfer in the whole run. The swell is 6ft from the SSE, period 10 seconds, combined energy 627, and it’s clean with a light offshore. For the big dogs, the 17th and 18th are absolutely pumping but it’s a dangerous, huge swell that only the experts should touch. The 20th is a solid, clean option for the advanced crew as well.

Keep it in mind, but don’t expect a week of easy waves. Rusty.

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