Surf Forecasts:
Zenith Beach surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with 2,005 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Zenith Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Zenith Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Zenith Beach in the next 16 days are 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Zenith Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s give this to you in feet and miles per hour, same deal.
The next 16 days don’t look great for Zenith Beach, but there are a few moments where it could be worth a look. The first bits of surf arrive Saturday afternoon, July 18, with a 5ft swell from the ESE at 8 seconds, but the wind is howling out of the SE at 19 mph, cross-on, and it’s raining showers. The combined energy of all swells directed here is moderate (421), but the conditions are poor. Not a happy start.
Sunday, July 19, is bigger but still messy. The morning has a 8ft E swell at 10 seconds, with cross-on SE winds at 12 mph, making it choppy and lumpy. The combined energy is strong (1307). The afternoon is similar, 7ft E swell, same wind, and the best you can hope for is marginal. This is too big for beginners, and the cross-on wind means it’s a battle.
Monday, July 20, offers a small improvement. The morning has a 6ft E swell at 11 seconds, with light ESE winds at 6 mph, cross-on, but the combined energy is still strong (1011). The afternoon cleans up a bit with a 6ft E swell and onshore E wind at 6 mph, but it’s still marginal. The water temperature is about 67°, which is just about average for the time of year.
The standout window is the morning of Friday, July 24. A 8ft S swell at 11 seconds, with cross-offshore WSW winds at 16 mph, and the combined energy is very strong (1653). The wind is clean, but the swell is over 8ft, so this is for experts only. That’s a proper groundswell with a long period, and at a beach break like Zenith, it might be a bit too straight and powerful. Still, if you’re experienced and the tide is right, you could get a few.
Another decent option is Saturday morning, July 25. A 5ft S swell at 10 seconds, with clean offshore W winds at 6 mph. The combined energy is moderate (417). It’s nothing giant, but the conditions are good, and it’s clean. This is a solid option for a relaxed session.
Sunday morning, July 26, looks similar: 4ft S swell at 10 seconds, with very light offshore W winds at 3 mph, almost glassy. The combined energy is weak (268). Small but clean, and crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have company.
After that, the surf fades. Monday, July 27, drops to 3ft, and by Tuesday and Wednesday, July 28 and 29, it’s tiny. We’re looking at a gap of several days with no real recommendations. The end of the period, from July 30 through August 2, sees some bigger pulses again, but the wind is always onshore or cross-on, and the conditions are poor. The 30th has a 2ft S swell at 18 seconds, very long period, but cross-on SE wind at 12 mph, and the combined energy is moderate (509). It’s a tease. The first week of August is a write-off with onshore winds and rain.
Overall, the best bet is the morning of Friday, July 24, for the experts, or Saturday morning, July 25, for a cleaner, smaller wave. If you’re a beginner, stay away when the swell is over 5ft, which is most of the goods.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSW 6 | S 7 | S 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 296 | 1174 | 1144 | 970 | 980 | 815 | 632 | 459 | 335 | 282 | 248 | 149 | 119 | 106 | 87 | 260 | 736 | 1639 | 882 | 546 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:24PM1.69m | 12:13PM1.41m | 00:07AM1.52m | 1:00PM1.41m | 00:51AM1.36m | 1:51PM1.41m | 1:38AM1.21m | 2:45PM1.42m | 2:35AM1.10m | 3:43PM1.45m | 3:47AM1.02m | 4:39PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:11PM0.46m | 6:00AM0.26m | 6:03PM0.55m | 6:39AM0.36m | 7:00PM0.63m | 7:17AM0.45m | 8:03PM0.69m | 7:56AM0.52m | 9:18PM0.72m | 8:38AM0.57m | 10:35PM0.70m | 9:27AM0.60m | 11:39PM0.63m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — |
 | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | 48 | 1174 | 1144 | 970 | 980 | 815 | 632 | 459 | 335 | 282 | 248 | 149 | 119 | 106 | 58 | 41 | 28 | 1639 | 882 | 546 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 20 | S 9 | S 18 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 16 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 71 | 27 | 150 | 183 | 168 | 187 | 180 | 116 | 81 | 56 | 31 | 31 | 18 | 21 | 8 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 19 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 17 | SE 15 | SE 16 | SE 15 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | — | — | S 18 | S 16 |
| kJ | 6 | 113 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 16 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NNE 4 | WNW 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | SSW 6 | S 7 | S 9 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 296 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 87 | 260 | 736 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 248 | 134 | 134 | 42 | 46 | 42 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 210 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 260 | 84 | 46 | 46 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Zenith Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Zenith Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Zenith Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Zenith 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 (Zenith 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 Zenith 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.
Zenith Beach is 12 km (7 miles) from the city of Port Stephens. If you plan a holiday in Newcastle, look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Stephens. Port Stephens has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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