Surf spot

Frenchmans reef

Forecast conditions and map view for Frenchmans reef in Australia, NSW, Newcastle. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Australia, NSW, Newcastle
Coordinates: -33.0984, 151.6598

Metric
Metric	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00
Wave height (m)	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.6	1.4	1.6	1.7	1.5	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.8	2	2.2	1.9	1.8	1.9	1.7	1.8	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7
Wave direction	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	SE	SSE	SSE	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	SE	S	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE
Wave period (s)	9.9	9.9	10.4	10.5	10.4	10.4	10.4	8.4	10.2	10	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.7	7.8	4	4.2	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	5.3	5.1	5.3	5.3	6.5	7.3	8	9.1	9.8	9.6	9.4	8.3	8	7.7	8.2	8.3	8	7.9	7.5	7.3	6.8	7.8	6.8	6.8	6.8	7	7	7	7	6.9	6.9	7	6.5	7	7.1
Wave energy (kJ)	301	257	284	297	284	255	218	121	154	128	112	93	74	68	41	14	15	17	17	13	9	10	8	5	19	173	256	374	393	274	290	308	442	522	553	480	466	476	369	344	188	144	153	129	124	106	117	112	93	85	77	67	66	42	48	47
Wind speed (km/h)	7.2	7.1	7	6.4	15	23.7	15.9	9	7.8	7.6	8.6	10	10.5	6.8	8.4	9	9.3	9.7	9.6	14.8	15.3	11.2	17.8	30.2	30.1	17.3	18.9	23.8	31	27.9	31.9	28.4	26.6	19.9	20.7	18.1	23.2	19.1	12.1	7.6	8.2	7.6	7.1	6.4	8	14.3	13.4	8	8.4	10.7	9.7	6.1	12.4	9.7	9.3	6.9
Wind direction	NCross-off	NNWOffshore	NNWOffshore	NNECross-off	ENECross	ENECross	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NNWOffshore	NNWOffshore	NNWOffshore	NNWOffshore	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NCross-off	NNWOffshore	NNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross	SWCross	SSWCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross	SWCross-on	SWCross	SSWCross-on	SCross-on	SSEOnshore	SSWCross-on	WNWCross-off	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NNWOffshore	ENECross	ENECross	NECross-off	WCross-off	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	SEOnshore	ECross-on	NNECross-off	NNWOffshore

Frenchmans Reef is a well-known surf break in Newcastle, New South Wales, on Australia’s east coast. It’s an exposed reef break that can deliver powerful, clean waves when the right swell and wind line up, and it’s generally best suited to confident, experienced surfers.

What it’s like

Wave type: Reef break
Surf quality: Can be very good on the right day, with well-shaped, hollow, and punchy waves
Conditions: Works best with offshore winds and a solid east or northeast swell
Crowds: Can get busy when conditions are good, especially with local surfers
Hazards: Reef bottom, strong currents, and sometimes heavy waves mean it’s not ideal for beginners

Best for

Intermediate to advanced surfers
Surfers comfortable with reef setups
People looking for a heavier, more powerful wave than a standard beach break

Local vibe

Newcastle has a strong surf culture, and Frenchmans Reef is one of those spots that earns respect when it’s on. It’s the kind of place surfers watch closely for swell windows, because when it turns on, it can be a quality session.