
Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, SSE swell with 989 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Broken Head this week:
The surf forecast for Broken Head over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Broken Head in the next 16 days are 1.7m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Broken Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for us.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the week ahead shapes up with some real promise, especially for the weekend crew. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is right about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
The first real action kicks off on Tuesday morning, July 21st, at Broken Head (point). We’re looking at a 7ft swell from the east, with a period of 10 seconds. That’s a solid, workable groundswell, and the energy is moderate (878). The wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 12 mph, which will keep it fairly clean, though that breeze is a bit stiff. The morning is the pick, but the surf is a bit marginal. By the afternoon, the swell drops to 6ft, but the wind eases and the conditions clean up, making for some very good waves.
Wednesday, July 22nd, is the real standout. The morning brings a beautiful 5ft east swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is pure offshore from the SW at just 3 mph. That’s glassy, clean, and perfect. The energy is moderate (423). This is as good as it gets for a beginner-friendly point break like Broken Head.
From Thursday through to the weekend, the swell dips and the wind turns messy, so we’ll see a few days of small, weak surf. Friday, July 24th, is a total write-off with tiny 2ft waves and fresh southerly winds.
Then, Saturday, July 25th, brings a sudden change. A long-period groundswell rolls in from the SSE at 4ft, but with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a lot of energy for the size (648), and the morning is dead calm with a light offshore wind. The sets will be clean and well-shaped, but that long period can make a point break like this tricky – it might wall up and run a bit straight. For the experienced guys, it’s a gem.
After that, we hit a flat spell. From Sunday, July 26th, right through to Wednesday, July 29th, the swell is tiny – under 1ft. There’s nothing to get excited about.
Thursday, July 30th, offers a 7ft SSE swell, but the wind is onshore, and the quality is marginal. Not worth the paddle.
Now, Friday, July 31st, is another proper standout. The morning brings a 8ft swell from the SSE, with a 9-second period and a light cross-off breeze. The energy is strong (829), and the conditions are set up for a very good session. This is a bit on the big side for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, it’s going to be a blast.
We carry that energy into Saturday, August 1st, with a 7ft SSE swell, a 10-second period, and a clean offshore wind in the morning. The energy is high (916). This is the best of the bunch for the advanced crew – powerful, clean, and consistent.
The surf then slowly eases through the start of August, with Sunday, August 2nd, offering a solid 6ft SSE swell and clean conditions, and Monday, August 3rd, holding onto 6ft waves with light winds.
By Tuesday, August 4th, the swell starts to fade, and the wind turns onshore, bringing things back to a close. The last few days of the outlook are small and weak, with nothing to recommend.
So, the best bets are Wednesday, July 22nd for the clean, beginner-friendly waves, and Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st for the bigger, more powerful stuff. The weekend of the 25th/26th is a bit of a tease with that long-period groundswell, but it’s worth a look if you know the break.
Stay stoked, and I’ll see you out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | NE 8 | NE 7 | E 9 | SSE 11 | ESE 12 | E 13 | ESE 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
878 | 614 | 494 | 408 | 367 | 311 | 210 | 169 | 134 | 85 | 63 | 133 | 585 | 762 | 28 | 16 | 14 | 320 | 14 | 14 | 32 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | on | cross | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 1:35PM1.20m | 1:11AM1.07m | 2:40PM1.22m | 2:09AM0.94m | 3:45PM1.25m | 3:24AM0.86m | 4:46PM1.31m | 4:39AM0.85m | 5:37PM1.39m | 5:40AM0.88m | 6:21PM1.47m | 6:28AM0.93m | 7:00PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:31PM0.56m | 7:39AM0.28m | 8:57PM0.61m | 8:30AM0.32m | 10:27PM0.59m | 9:30AM0.34m | 11:37PM0.52m | 10:31AM0.33m | 00:26AM0.43m | 11:24AM0.29m | 1:06AM0.35m | 12:10PM0.23m | 1:41AM0.28m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 7 | S 10 | SSE 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 |
878 | 614 | 494 | 408 | 367 | 311 | 210 | 169 | 134 | 85 | 63 | 251 | 361 | 762 | 345 | 291 | 225 | 320 | 227 | 161 | 110 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | ENE 10 | ESE 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 11 | S 11 | SE 8 | E 13 | E 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 14 | E 9 | NE 8 | NE 7 | E 9 | E 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 13 |
70 | 57 | 84 | 35 | 31 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 22 | 133 | 585 | 57 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 32 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 20 | S 11 | S 11 | E 9 | S 14 | E 12 | — | SE 9 | S 10 | S 18 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ESE 12 | E 13 | E 7 |
8 | 61 | 58 | 15 | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 71 | 63 | 14 | 26 | 16 | 12 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 2 | — | — | S 3 | SSE 5 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | N 2 |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 91 | 459 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Broken Head Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Broken Head provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Broken Head can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Broken Head 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 (Broken Head) 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 Broken Head 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.
Broken Head is 19 km (12 miles) from Ballina. If you plan a holiday in North Coast - New South Wales, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ballina. Ballina has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










