Create a free profile and let employers in Merewether find you.
Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Merewether. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical early July.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Merewether is the week of 2 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Small waves but still worth a paddle for keen surfers. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Heavy offshore making for difficult paddle-outs but textbook faces. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: rocks exposed at low tide, and cold-shock risk.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
The air here is 75% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Significantly cleaner air than a typical city. Ideal for outdoor exercise with minimal respiratory strain.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NO₂ 5, O₃ 3, PM10 2, SO₂ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 21:00
Crystal clear water: ~15m visibility
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
Merewether is a quality beach and reef break in Newcastle, NSW. The beach faces east and a reef section at the south end (the Surfhouse) produces a defined right-hander. Newcastle's strong surf culture centres here. Consistent swell, warm water, and a lively surf community make it one of NSW's better spots outside Sydney.
Picks up east and south-east swells. A westerly wind is offshore. Works on all tides. The reef right works best at mid-high tide. Consistent year-round. The 3-6ft range is ideal. Newcastle receives reliable swell from both north-east and south-east.
The Surfhouse reef right is the premium wave (south end). The beach break has multiple peaks across the sand. The northern end is more sheltered. Choose based on ability and conditions.
Reef at the south end is shallow on lower tides. Rip currents on bigger days. Blue bottles seasonally. Generally safe sandy bottom through the middle.
Car park behind the beach. Direct access. The Merewether Surfhouse (restaurant/bar) overlooks the break. Full facilities. Newcastle is a proper city with everything needed.
Busy. Newcastle has a large surf population and Merewether is the prime spot. 20-30 people on good days. The reef section is more competitive. Friendly atmosphere overall.
Merewether is the social hub of Newcastle surfing. The Surfhouse bar is the gathering point. The reef right is the prize but the beach break offers plenty of peaks. Newcastle is one of Australia's most surf-friendly cities. Bar Beach (adjacent) offers a slightly different angle and can be less crowded.
Surf at Merewether
Your score
Forecast feel
Score this window against what you actually found.
No scored surf reviews in the last 24 hours.
No recent check-ins. Be the first to report.
Record your session, conditions and gear.
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Merewether
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at Merewether tend to be best between 07:00 to 10:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 43/100
See timing scores, school holiday busyness, and lift pass pricing to find the best time to book.
View Best Time to Go →Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 31 days of logged conditions.
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.