Reef
right
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.

10-Day Forecast
Today
21
0
Poor
0.1m
@3s
18km/h
Mon
22
0
Poor
0.1m
@3s
18km/h
Tue
23
0
Poor
0.1m
@3s
17km/h
Wed
24
0
Poor
0.1m
@3s
11km/h
Thu
25
5
Poor
0.1m
@3s
10km/h
Fri
26
8
Poor
0.1m
@3s
12km/h
Sat
27
5
Poor
0.1m
@3s
9km/h
Sun
28
0
Poor
0.1m
@5s
13km/h
Mon
29
0
Poor
0.1m
@3s
11km/h
Tue
30
0
Poor
0.0m
@3s
8km/h

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Swell
0.1m
E(83°)
Score: 0/25
Period
3s
Short period / windswell
Score: 0/25
Wind
18km/h
ESE(123°)
Score: 9/25
Weather
26°C
0.0mm7%
Windswell Component
0.2mSE@2s
0
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
afternoon
AM: 22 km/h SE|PM: 14 km/h SE
14 km/h vs 22 km/h morning
Tide at 4pm (-1.3m)

Location & Conditions

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

Tide Times

3:26 am
Low tide - -1.86m
9:39 am
High tide - 2.80m
4:05 pm
Low tide - -1.26m
9:53 pm
High tide - 2.08m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

0
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size0/25
Swell Period0/25
Wind9/25
Raw Score9/100
Adjustments
🌊💨 Windswell-10
🌊 Tide+1
⚠️ Weak Component-15
📉 Undersized Swell-12
🚫 Undersized Capmax 15
Adjusted Score0/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score0
🌊💨 Windswell🌊 Partly in the tide window
For real surf travel

Get the full Nightcliff trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

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