Surf Forecasts:
Broadbeach surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 564 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Broadbeach this week:
The surf forecast for Broadbeach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Broadbeach in the next 16 days are 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Broadbeach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long, drawn-out stretch of small, messy, and mostly onshore slop. It’s the kind of forecast that makes you want to check the wax supply and maybe re-tie your leashes, because there’s nothing worth charging out for.
The window starts with a bit of a dud. Tuesday the 18th kicks off with rain showers and a cross-on SE breeze at 16 mph, pushing around 5ft of short-period ESE windswell. The combined energy is weak at 232, and it’s choppy and poor. Wednesday the 19th sees a slight bump in size to 5ft, but it’s still cross-on from the SSE, and while the period stretches out to 11 seconds, the energy jumps to a moderate 847, it’s still a mess. The wind is up at 12 mph, and it’s just not clean.
We get a slight breather Thursday the 20th with a drop to 3ft, but a light rain and a gentle cross-on breeze keep things ordinary. Friday the 21st, the wind goes light (3-9 mph) and shifts cross-shore, but the swell bottoms out to 3ft with a weak 141 energy. Saturday morning the 22nd is the first time we see something surfable – the waves are still only 2ft, but the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the NNW, making it clean. It’s not going to be a classic, but it’s the best we’ve seen. That’s a one-star morning, and it’s only going to be for the early session. The afternoon gets messy again.
Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are similar – tiny 2-3ft swells, with light winds. Monday morning is also clean with a cross-off breeze, but still only 2ft. The whole week is a grind of ankle-biters. We’re looking at a solid gap of days with nothing worth planning around.
The real kicker comes at the end of the month. Wednesday the 2nd of September, we finally see some proper energy. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSE, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy rockets up to a moderate-to-strong 680. But here’s the catch – the wind is howling from the SSE at 16 mph, blowing straight cross-shore and chopping it up completely. This is a beach and reef setup, and with that much wind on it, this looks far more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle surfers. The surf quality is rated as poor, and unless that wind clocks around, it’s going to be a blown-out mess.
So, what’s the verdict? The only true standouts in this entire 16-day window are those clean but tiny morning sessions on Saturday the 22nd and Monday the 24th. For Broadbeach, it’s a beginner-friendly spot with a fairly consistent sandbar, and the water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about normal for this time of year – nothing weird there. But even on those clean days, you’re looking at knee-to-waist high dribble. There are no big swell windows, no proper groundswell to speak of, and the period stays mostly in that short-range 7-8 second zone, which doesn’t do us any favors for shape. The long-range promise from that SSE pulse on the 2nd of September is there, but as it stands, the wind kills it.
Honestly, keep your expectations low, and don’t be surprised if the forecast changes for the better. It’s been a flat spell, but that won’t last forever. I’ll be checking the charts again first thing in the morning.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
220 | 268 | 500 | 564 | 171 | 120 | 121 | 196 | 124 | 53 | 59 | 62 | 49 | 69 | 85 | 79 | 81 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 67 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:07PM1.14m | 00:51AM1.01m | 2:08PM1.12m | 1:33AM0.89m | 3:21PM1.11m | 2:35AM0.80m | 4:33PM1.13m | 4:08AM0.74m | 5:33PM1.17m | 5:29AM0.74m | 6:22PM1.23m | 6:28AM0.78m | 7:05PM1.29m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:09PM0.54m | 7:14AM0.36m | 8:12PM0.60m | 7:55AM0.37m | 9:44PM0.62m | 8:46AM0.37m | 11:29PM0.59m | 9:50AM0.38m | 00:37AM0.52m | 11:03AM0.37m | 1:22AM0.45m | 12:06PM0.35m | 1:58AM0.39m | ||||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 15 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
7 | 4 | 139 | 111 | 70 | 120 | 121 | 196 | 124 | 53 | 59 | 62 | 49 | 69 | 85 | 79 | 81 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 67 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | — | SE 9 | SE 11 | S 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | — | ENE 7 | ESE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | S 11 | S 11 |
5 | — | 68 | 172 | 5 | 48 | 41 | — | 57 | 48 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 12 | — | — | S 9 | ESE 12 | — | E 7 | SSE 8 | — | E 14 | E 11 | E 10 | SE 7 | SE 8 | S 9 | E 18 | SE 15 | — | NE 10 |
— | — | 50 | — | — | 6 | 13 | — | 52 | 40 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 5 |
220 | 268 | 500 | 564 | 171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 20 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 20 | 6 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 157 | 0 | 0 | 185 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 185 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Broadbeach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Broadbeach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Broadbeach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Broadbeach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Broadbeach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Broadbeach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Broadbeach is 1 km (1 miles) from Surfers Paradise. If you plan a holiday in Gold Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Surfers Paradise. Surfers Paradise has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











