Broken Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for Broken Head is a proper mixed bag. There’s surf on the tables most days, but honestly, a lot of it is just… ordinary. We’re looking at a run where the first few days are pretty dismal, and we don’t see anything worth getting truly excited about until we push deep into the second week. There are a few glimmers, but you’re going to have to be patient and pick your moments.

The water temperature is sitting at 68.2°F, which is right about average for this time of year, so no dramas there—just your standard wetsuit.

Alright, let’s walk through it. Saturday the 15th kicks off with a tiny 1.3ft ENE swell, and it’s just not doing anything. The energy is weak, only 30, and it’s crossed off with light rain. The afternoon bumps up to 5.2ft but it’s short-period SSE wind-slop, and the whole day feels like a write-off. Sunday the 16th is a bit better on size, with 5.9ft in the morning, but it’s still that short-period SSE stuff, and the wind is cross-off. The combined energy is moderate at 409, but the quality just isn’t there, and the forecast scores are low.

Monday and Tuesday, the 17th and 18th, are all about cross-shore winds and rain showers. We’ve got 5.6ft to 6.2ft of ESE/SE swell, but it’s chopped up and messy, with moderate cross-shore energy. The scores are poor. This is the kind of surf that’s more about dodging the whitewater than finding a clean wall. Not worth the paddle.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 19th morning, we see a real shift. The swell drops to 4.9ft, but the period jumps to 11 seconds, and the combined energy jumps right up to 757. That’s a significant boost of energy. The wind is only 6 mph, light cross-shore, and while the comment says it’s marginal, that longer period is a big deal. It’s still not clean, but the raw power is there. This is the first day I’d even bother looking at the water.

Thursday the 20th is a letdown again—the swell backs off to 4.3ft and the period drops to 8 seconds, with cross-on winds. The energy is down to 254. It’s a nothing day. Friday the 21st is even smaller, with 2.6ft to 3.3ft and onshore winds. Forget it.

Saturday the 22nd is another tease—clean conditions with a cross-off, but the swell is only 3.3ft, and the energy is weak at 163. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

Then, finally, we get to Sunday the 23rd. This is the standout of the whole period, and it’s the only day that truly delivers. The morning brings a 5.2ft SSE swell with an 8-second period, but the kicker is the offshore SW wind at 12 mph. The comment says “expect good surf conditions,” and the energy is solid at 410. Broken Head (Byron Bay) is a point break that loves wind like this, and the ENE swell direction is right in its optimum window. This is the day to be out there. It’s clean, it’s got some push, and the offshore breeze will have it looking like a postcard. The afternoon, though, falls apart—the swell drops to 1.3ft with a long 12-second period, and the crossover is gone. So it’s a morning-only window.

After that, we slide back into mediocrity for a while. Monday the 24th is glassy in the morning but tiny at 3.0ft, and the afternoon turns onshore. Tuesday the 25th is small and clean but weak, with a 1.0ft wave showing up in the morning—that’s hardly ridable.

The last week is a mixed bag of small, mostly onshore junk. There’s a blip on Thursday the 27th with 3.9ft to 4.6ft, but the winds are all wrong and the comments are poor. Friday the 28th is similar.

But hold on—don’t sleep on the very end of the run. Saturday the 29th morning is promising: a 3.0ft ESE swell with an 11-second period, light cross-off wind, and clean conditions. The energy is strong at 471, and the forecast says to expect good surf. It’s not big, but that long period and clean wind will make for some nice, lined-up point waves. Then Sunday the 30th morning is more of the same—3.6ft ESE swell, 10-second period, and a light cross-off again. Energy is 468 and it’s clean. These two mornings are your best bets for a fun, hassle-free session on the points, even if they don’t have the size of that Sunday the 23rd.

So, what’s the call? If you want waves, circle Sunday morning the 23rd—that’s the one with real size, power, and offshore wind.

Read more