Broadbeach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on the cards for Broadbeach.

Right off the bat, I gotta tell ya—this stretch is mostly flat and pretty ordinary for the next week or so. From Thursday 20 August through the end of the month, it’s a real struggle. Barely any energy coming in, and what little swell there is has poor wind on it. There’s a long run of days with nothing really rideable. A couple of mornings clean up nicely, like Friday 21 August morning with a light NNE breeze and glassy water, but the swell is tiny at 3ft from the east and that combined energy is weak (163). It’s surfable but very ordinary. Same goes for Saturday 22 August morning—clean, cross-offshore wind, 3ft east-northeast swell, but barely any push with energy at 74. Not worth getting worked up about.

Then we hit the beginning of September and things change. The standout is Tuesday 1 September morning. That’s the one to circle. Early in the day, glassy clean conditions with a light west-northwest breeze—basically offshore and perfect. The swell is 4ft from the east with a decent 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 262. That’s the best energy we’ve seen in the whole forecast. The waves will have more push and shape than anything before it. Water temp is around 68°, about 1° cooler than the long-term average, so nothing too unusual.

Because Broadbeach is an exposed beach break getting east swell, that 9-second period (short period windswell) means waves will be a bit more frequent and less powerful than a groundswell. But with glassy conditions, it should be fun for beginners to intermediates. At 4ft, it’s fine for beginners too. Just know it’s often crowded, so expect company.

After that morning, the wind shifts onshore and quality drops right off. The rest of the first week of September is mixed—Wednesday 2 September has moderate cross-onshore wind and the swell picks up to 5ft, but it’s choppy and messy with a combined energy of 431 (strong energy), but those onshore winds ruin it. By Thursday 3 September morning, swell is 4ft with a 10-second period from the east, but it’s onshore and average.

So, bottom line: if you’re hanging for a wave, Tuesday 1 September morning is your best bet—clean, glassy, and a bit of energy. Everything before that is a write-off. After that, nothing else really jumps out as excellent, just a few marginal windows.

Stay patient, it does turn. Forecasts can always change.

Rusty.

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