Broken Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.71° S 153.62° E

Broken Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 22 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Broken Head sea temperature is
20.1°C
0.5° 

Broken Head surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Broken Head surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, NE swell with 211 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with ENE 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 7s. 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 1.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 7s
Best Surf 7AM (Wed 26th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 8s
Most Powerful 7AM (Wed 26th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Broken Head over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with ya – this is not a classic run for Broken Head. We’ve got a drawn-out forecast with only a couple of windows that’ll get the blood pumping, and plenty of ordinary days in between. The swell stays generally small, but the direction is mostly from the ENE, which is about bang on the money for this exposed point. The water temp is sitting at 68°, a touch cooler than average for this time of year, so you might want a steamer if you’re heading out early.

The first real glimmer comes up on Saturday morning, August 22. It’s nothing to write home about – 3 ft of ENE swell with a short 7-second period – but with a light WSW offshore breeze under a cloudy sky, the surface is glassy clean. The combined energy is only 89 (weak), so it’s barely got any push. Still, for a beginner-friendly point like Broken Head, it’s a fun little ankle-to-knee high roll. Not a standout, but it’s a start.

Wednesday morning, August 26 is where it picks up a notch. We’ve got 4 ft of ENE swell, period still short at 8 seconds, but the energy jumps to 224 (moderate). The wind is glassy from the north at 3 mph, and the model’s calling for good surf conditions. This is the best morning of the first week – clean, small but fun, and the kind of session where you’ll get a few long, crumbly lines down the point. Not big, not hollow, but honest.

The next proper highlight is Monday morning, August 31 into the afternoon. Swell drops a bit to 3 ft from the ENE, but period stretches to 9 seconds and the energy bumps to 232 (moderate). A light SSW offshore breeze is blowing 12 mph, giving you moderate offshore, clean face. The model tags it as good surf conditions. This is your pick for the second week – a solid, clean session for a rippable point break. The afternoon side is also decent, with 3 ft from the SSE and clean cross-off breeze. Not a classic, but consistent and clean.

From there, it fades. Wednesday morning, September 2 has 3 ft of 10-second E swell (127 energy), clean with a light cross-off, but it’s marginal. After that, the wind turns onshore and the swell stays under 3 ft through to the end of the 16-day window. Sunday morning, September 6 throws up 5 ft from the north (331 energy – moderate), but it’s clean cross-off and period is only 5 seconds – a short, messy wind swell. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

So, where to paddle? Lock in Wednesday August 26 morning for the cleanest, glassy small waves, and Monday August 31 morning for the best combination of clean offshore wind and moderate energy. Everything else is a filler – light, inconsistent, and ordinary.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and I’ll see you in the water.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
7
0.5
SSE
12
0.7
ENE
8
1
ENE
8
1
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
1.1
ENE
8
1.2
ENE
8
1.1
ENE
8
1.1
ENE
8
1.2
ENE
8
1
E
8
1
E
8
1.1
ENE
8
1
E
8
1.2
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
73
54
56
71
86
62
86
72
131
128
94
146
175
161
153
185
134
134
157
144
185
Wind (km/h)
5
WSW
10
NW
5
WSW
15
S
15
SSE
5
SW
10
SW
5
E
10
N
10
N
25
NNE
25
N
5
N
5
WNW
15
SSW
15
SSW
20
SSE
5
SSW
5
SSW
15
NE
10
NNW
Wind State
off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
on
cross-on
High Tide
4:16PM1.27m
4:25AM0.83m
5:11PM1.35m
5:23AM0.89m
5:54PM1.45m
6:06AM0.97m
6:31PM1.55m
6:44AM1.05m
7:04PM1.62m
7:18AM1.13m
7:36PM1.67m
7:52AM1.21m
8:08PM1.69m
Low Tide
11:16PM0.51m
10:07AM0.38m
00:01AM0.41m
11:04AM0.31m
00:36AM0.32m
11:49AM0.23m
1:08AM0.23m
12:29PM0.16m
1:38AM0.16m
1:06PM0.10m
2:07AM0.10m
1:42PM0.07m
2:36AM0.05m
cloud
part cloud
clear
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:09
6:09
6:07
6:07
6:05
6:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:24
5:25
5:25
5:27
5:27
5:28
5:28
 mm
2
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
Temp °C
17
17
16
18
18
17
18
18
18
20
20
18
18
20
20
19
18
17
20
19
18
Feels °C
15
15
15
16
16
17
19
18
18
18
18
16
19
21
19
17
15
17
19
17
17
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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