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
Thu
30
5
Poor
0.2m
@3s
11km/h
Fri
1
2
Poor
0.2m
@3s
12km/h
Sat
2
4
Poor
0.1m
@4s
12km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
0.2m
NE(48°)
Score: 1/25
Period
3s
Short period / windswell
Score: 0/25
Wind
11km/h
E(86°)
Score: 25/25
Weather
28°C
0.0mm95%
0
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 9 km/h ESE|PM: 12 km/h E
Lighter winds early (9 km/h)
Tide at 10am (-1.1m)

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

4:17 am
High tide - 3.15m
10:33 am
Low tide - -1.09m
4:16 pm
High tide - 3.22m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

5
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size1/25
Swell Period0/25
Wind25/25
Raw Score26/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
⚠️ Weak Component-15
📉 Undersized Swell-12
🚫 Undersized Capmax 15
Adjusted Score5/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score5
✨ Groomed

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°

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