Reef
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Level 6/10

Nightcliff

Darwin, Australia
🦈Sharks🪸Sharp reef🏝️Remote

Nightcliff is Darwin's most consistent surf spot—a reef break in Australia's tropical north where crocodiles share the lineup. When cyclone swells from the Timor Sea push toward the coast during the wet season, Nightcliff can produce quality right-hand waves. The catch? Saltwater crocodiles are a genuine risk, as are box jellyfish and sharks. Local surfers check government croc warnings, wear stinger suits, and surf in groups. This is frontier surfing in one of the world's most dangerous marine environments, but for the dedicated few, it's worth the risk.

3-Day Forecast
Mon
16
0
Poor
0.3m
@5s
11km/h
Tue
17
4
Poor
0.2m
@6s
9km/h
Wed
18
8
Poor
0.2m
@6s
9km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
0.3m
WNW(284°)
Score: 1/25
Period
5s
Short period / windswell
Score: 1/25
Wind
11km/h
NW(310°)
Score: 7/25
Weather
27°C
1.1mm100%
Windswell Component
0.1mWNW@1s
0
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
View in OpenStreetMap
Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

3:25 am
High tide - 1.83m
9:46 am
Low tide - -1.14m
4:12 pm
High tide - 3.01m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

0
Poor
Components
Swell Direction11/25
Swell Size1/25
Swell Period1/25
Wind7/25
Raw Score20/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-10
📉 Undersized Swell-11
🚫 Undersized Capmax 15
Adjusted Score0/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score0

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
NW (310°)
Direction range
280° - 340°
Size range
0.8m - 2m
Ideal size
1.7m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
45° - 135°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.5m - 2m

Water temp

29°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

1/10

Access: Darwin suburb. Check croc warnings before surfing.

Best Season

Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr

Secondary: May, Sep

Wet season cyclone swells Oct-April. Dry season rarely has surf.

Getting There

Airport
DRW
Drive time
15 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion