Backwash
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
32Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 5 ft swell at 7 s
Mon 2 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 92kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tue 3 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- N 10 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Wed 4 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- SSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 160kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 68kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 185kJ
- Wind
- SSW 11 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 242, too small
- Tue 323, too small
- Wed 424, poor
- Thu 514, too small
- Fri 649, fair
- Sat 731, too small
- Sun 814, poor
- Mon 941, poor
- Tue 1042, poor
- Wed 1154, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 22 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Apr–Jul2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 42, too small | 3 ft8 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 24°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 24, poor | 3 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 49, fair | 5 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 160kJ | offshorewind from the west, 4 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 31, too small | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 68kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 14, poor | 4 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 185kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 11 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 41, poor | 6 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 248kJ | wind from the south-west, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 42, poor | 5 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 180kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots | 24°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 54, fair | 4 ft8 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 178kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 10 knots | 21°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 02:49 +0.2 mLow 08:13 −0.4 mHigh 14:57 +0.8 mLow 21:50 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:03 +0.3 mLow 09:34 −0.4 mHigh 16:06 +0.7 mLow 22:51 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:07 +0.4 mLow 10:51 −0.4 mHigh 17:10 +0.6 mLow 23:42 −0.6 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Apr–Jul
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Backwash on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Backwash
More surf near here
5 places
- Palms Wedge 0.7 km away
- Flynn's Beach 3.1 km away
- Nobbys beach 3.1 km away
- Shelly beach 3.1 km away
- Oxleys Reef 5.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Backwash
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (109°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (289°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 53). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 21°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May, June and July, with about 2 good days in 7; in January, November and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Port Macquarie, 5.8 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 22°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,740–US$3,350 each
about US$1,740–US$3,350 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to PQQ, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and BNE, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$906–US$1,890 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$356–US$597 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$597 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$235 |
| Total | about US$1,740–US$3,350 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 52 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Port Macquarie its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Lake Cathie on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 5 places to stay
- Beds in Bonny Hills on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 12 places to stay
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 30h 30m
About 30h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → PQQ, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Brisbane International Airport (BNE), then 25 min by road
Flights MDW → PQQ on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.