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
Today
30
15
Poor
0.1m
@6s
10km/h
Tue
31
12
Poor
0.0m
@6s
5km/h
Wed
1
11
Poor
0.0m
@5s
6km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
0.1m
NW(314°)
Score: 0/25
Period
6s
Short period / windswell
Score: 2/25
Wind
10km/h
E(80°)
Score: 25/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm65%
0
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 10 km/h ESE|PM: 11 km/h E
Lighter winds early (10 km/h)
Tide at 9am (-1.3m)

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
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Tide Times

3:04 am
High tide - 2.15m
9:37 am
Low tide - -1.34m
3:51 pm
High tide - 3.15m
10:18 pm
Low tide - -1.03m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

15
Poor
Components
Swell Direction22/25
Swell Size0/25
Swell Period2/25
Wind25/25
Raw Score49/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
⚠️ Weak Component-15
📉 Undersized Swell-11
🚫 Undersized Capmax 15
Adjusted Score29/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score15
✨ 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

👥 Autumn Break (Apr 4Apr 19) — expect extra crowds

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