Broadbeach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window for Broadbeach starts off pretty flat and grim. The first week or so is a write-off unless you’re happy to go for a paddle just to be on the water. There’s very little energy and the wind is generally messy. Things only start to show some promise heading into the second week, and the real standout doesn’t arrive until Tuesday, August 11th.

Let’s run through it. From Monday, July 27th right through to Sunday, August 9th, the surf is consistently poor. We’re talking tiny waves, usually under 3ft, with a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore wind. The water temp is about 69°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. The first few days have a weak 1ft swell from the SE with a period around 9-11 seconds, but the wind is just wrong. Wednesday morning, July 29th, you get a brief window of offshore wind and glassy conditions, but the swell is only 2ft with a short 6-second period – it’s basically a ripple. That’s not a surf, it’s a recovery session.

From around August 4th, there’s a tiny bump of energy, but it’s still not worth getting excited about. Tuesday morning, August 4th, has glassy conditions and a 3ft swell from the ENE (6-second period), and the combined energy is only 99 – weak. The wind stays wrong for the rest of that week.

The real change comes in the second week. Swell builds from August 9th, but the wind is still cross-on and choppy. The combined energy jumps to 388 on the Sunday morning, but it’s not clean. The first true standout hits on Tuesday, August 11th. That’s the day. The morning sees a clean 6ft swell from the east (10-second period) with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW. The combined energy is a solid 710 (moderate-strong). The afternoon gets even better: 7ft from the east, same period, with a light cross-offshore from the WNW, and energy hits 816. That’s proper surf. The swell is right at the upper end of beginner-friendly (5ft+), so it’s more for intermediate and above, but it’s clean, has decent power, and the wind is working for you. Crowds are often at Broadbeach, so expect some company.

For the whole run, Broadbeach is the only break on the cards, and it’s an exposed beach break. The east swell is okay, but it’s not the perfect direction for this spot (optimum is E, and we get E on the standout day, so that’s a win). The period around 10 seconds is solid, offering good shape and energy. There’s no other standout to compare.

So, bottom line: the first week and a half is a dud. The one and only true highlight is Tuesday, August 11th. That’s your window. Go chase it.

Rusty.

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