Explore / Australia · New South Wales
Sydney.
Now
· updated 13 hours ago1-2m northeast swell at 7 seconds peaks Friday morning under moderate south-southwest wind, easing to glassy north-northeast by evening. Saturday builds to 1-2m east-northeast with strong southeast influence under light northeast wind, turning westerly and blown-out by Sunday dawn. Sunday holds 1.5m east-southeast with strong southeast influence under moderate south wind, easing to glassy south-southeast by evening. Monday drops to 1m east-northeast under glassy southeast wind, shifting to light west by afternoon. Tuesday surges from 1m to 3-4m east under glassy west-southwest wind, becoming blown-out south by evening — WEEK PEAK. Wednesday holds 3-3m south with strong east-northeast influence under blown-out south wind, easing to strong by afternoon. Thursday eases to 2-2m south-southeast under strong south wind, shifting to
Swell height
Wave systems
- primary —
- secondary —
- tertiary —
- wind sea —
Power
Wind speed
Tide
Weather
Nearby regions
About Sydney
Sydney has two surf coasts split by the harbour. The Northern Beaches run 30 km north from Manly to Palm Beach: a string of east-facing beaches and one sand-bottom peak at North Narrabeen, just inside the lagoon mouth. The Eastern Beaches run south through Bondi, Tamarama, Maroubra, and end at Cronulla, with Shark Island slab a paddle offshore. Manly hosted the first World Championships in 1964, and the Sydney Surf Pro has run on the WSL Challenger Series since 2020, settled at North Narrabeen since 2024.
June through August is most consistent. Tasman Sea lows feed long-period south to south-east swell, 12 to 20 s, that wakes the whole coast. Summer adds Coral Sea cyclone pulses from the east through north-east, shorter and quicker to fade. A working day is 1.5 to 3 m. The clean wind is west to south-west, offshore at the east-facing beaches. The north-east sea breeze fills most summer afternoons. The southerly buster, an abrupt south change with 40-knot gusts, hits roughly 32 times a year, mostly spring and summer. Dawn beats both winds.
Water sits at 18 to 19 °C in September, 23 to 24 °C in February. A 3/2 covers winter, boardies and a rashie do summer. Crowds are the headline hazard. Bondi is the most photographed lineup in the country, full of beginners on rented foamies. Maroubra is a local stronghold and not the place to drop in. Tamarama runs the highest rescue rate per bather of any patrolled NSW beach; the rips there move fast. After heavy rain, expect stormwater plumes, and skip the urban beaches for a day. When a southerly buster hits, tuck into the south corners of Dee Why or North Narrabeen. When the sea breeze blows out the rest, Bondi faces enough south to stay rideable.