Surf spot

Redhead

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

Country: Australia, NSW, Newcastle
Coordinates: -33.0196, 151.7159

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	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.8	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.4	1.6	2.3	2.4	2.1	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.7	1.6	1.5	1.2	1.1	1	0.9	0.8	0.9
Wave direction	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	SSE	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SSE	SSE	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	S	S	S	SE
Wave period (s)	8.9	9.2	9.6	9.4	8.7	9.6	9.8	10	9.9	9.8	9.9	9.8	9.8	10.1	10.2	8.3	8.3	8.3	8.2	10	9.9	8.1	7	4.4	4.5	4.7	4.8	4.6	4.5	5	5.2	5.5	6.5	6.5	7.3	8.1	8.7	8.5	9.8	9.7	9.5	8.3	8	8.1	8.1	7.7	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.2	7.2	7	6.8	6.5	8.4	6.7
Wave energy (kJ)	246	228	223	230	218	302	292	278	248	210	196	186	171	151	140	89	81	71	59	82	71	44	36	20	21	20	18	13	10	9	8	6	54	206	240	307	181	201	230	386	462	751	725	582	478	446	388	308	266	221	159	117	88	65	91	76
Wind speed (km/h)	3.5	6.2	3.1	2.6	15.6	16.2	15	9.7	5.4	6.2	6	7.9	15.5	22.4	18.1	8.2	8.6	7.3	8.8	10.2	10.8	11.2	6.6	9	7.9	8.1	6.9	10.7	15.1	16.3	17.4	29.2	31.4	31.4	25.9	29.6	32.9	33.2	32.6	31	28.1	25.2	19.8	18.4	19.9	15.8	13.1	8.5	7.3	5.7	6.4	8.1	8.4	14.5	13.3	5.4
Wind direction	WSWGlassy	WCross-off	WNWGlassy	ESEGlassy	ESEOnshore	ENECross-on	NECross	NNECross-off	NCross-off	NCross-off	NNWCross-off	NNECross	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	NECross	NNECross-off	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NCross-off	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NECross	NCross-off	NCross-off	NNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	SSECross-on	SEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	WSWCross-off	SSWCross	SWCross	SSWCross	SCross-on	SWCross	WCross-off	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NNWCross-off	NCross-off	NECross	NECross	WCross-off

Redhead is a well-known surf spot on the New South Wales coast near Newcastle, Australia, offering exposed beachbreak waves along a long stretch of sandy shoreline.

Quick description

Type: Beachbreak
Location: Redhead Beach, Newcastle region, NSW
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, depending on conditions
Wave character: Can be punchy and powerful when swell lines up, with shifting peaks along the beach
Conditions: Generally works best with a clean swell and offshore winds; can get windy and inconsistent at times
Hazards: Strong rips, shifting sandbanks, and potentially crowded lineup during good surf

What it’s known for

Redhead can produce fun, rippable peaks and occasional heavier beachbreak sections when the swell is solid. Because it’s a sand-bottom break, the quality changes with tides, swell direction, and sand movement.

Nearby vibe

The area has a classic coastal NSW beach town feel, with scenic cliffs and open coastline. It’s a popular local surf beach and can be a good option when other Newcastle or Lake Macquarie spots are either too big or too small.

Best conditions

Swell: East to southeast
Wind: West to southwest offshore
Tide: Often better around mid tide, but this varies with sandbanks