Broken Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.71° S 153.62° E

Broken Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Broken Head sea temperature is
19.8° C
0.7° 

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 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 524 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m 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 1.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 0.4m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Wed 19th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 9s
Best Surf 4AM (Wed 19th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 9s
Most Powerful 7AM (Wed 19th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's cut through the chatter and get straight to it. The next couple of weeks are gonna test your patience, that's for sure. We've got a promising little window right at the start, but then things go quiet for a long stretch before a possible pulse of energy way down the track. Keep your expectations in check and your fins waxed.

The early action kicks off on Tuesday the 18th. The surf is gonna be a bit of a mess to be honest. We're looking at a cross-shore breeze messing up what could be a decent 6ft of SE swell. It’s surfable but far from perfect, with moderate wave energy behind it (507). The water's sitting at 68°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no dramas there.

The real standout of this whole period, and the one you should pencil in, is Wednesday morning, the 19th. The wind drops right out to glassy, and that same SE swell, dropping slightly to 5ft, cleans right up. It’s still got a bit of punch with moderate energy (569) and a longer period of 11 seconds, which should give it some proper shape. This is your window. Broken Head (New South Wales) is a point break that loves this kind of setup. It's a beginner-friendly wave, and with the glassy conditions, it's going to be super fun. There will be a few others out, but it’s the clear winner. The swell direction is SE, which isn't its absolute optimum ENE, but the clean conditions will make up for it.

Thursday the 20th will be a step down. The swell drops to 5ft and the period backs off to 8 seconds, and the wind is glassy again in the morning. It’ll be okay, but not the same quality as Wednesday. The energy is weakening (272), so we're on the downhill slide.

And then, mate, the taps get turned off. From Friday the 21st through to the 29th, it’s a proper drought. We're looking at well over a week with nothing but tiny, wind-affected slop. The swell drops to under 3ft, the period is short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore. There's one brief moment on Sunday morning the 23rd where it goes glassy, but the swell is only 3ft with weak energy (87). It's not worth getting wet for unless you're desperate. The setup is so poor for most of this time that it looks far more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle folk.

There is a flicker of hope on Wednesday the 26th, with a clean offshore wind, but again, the swell is a weak 3ft. It's just not going to break properly. We then drift into early September with nothing but more of the same, small and messy.

Now, here’s the long-range tease. On Wednesday afternoon, the 2nd of September, a solid groundswell shows up out of the SSE at 7ft with a 10-second period and strong energy (848). It’s a long way out, so treat this as promising but not certain. The wind is forecast to be cross-offshore, which could make it excellent. But with that size, it's going to be one for the experienced crew only; this is well over the 5ft mark and into expert territory for sure. Keep an eye on this one as it gets closer, but don't hold your breath.

Stay patient, keep your eye on Wednesday morning. That's your best bet for a while.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
3
1
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
SE
8
1.9
SE
8
1.7
ESE
9
1.5
SE
11
1.4
SE
10
1.2
SE
10
1.5
ESE
8
1.6
ESE
8
1.1
E
7
0.8
ENE
6
1
ENE
7
0.9
NE
7
0.8
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
NE
8
0.7
E
8
1.2
NNE
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
485
509
475
505
420
269
244
266
110
51
85
65
53
70
89
85
88
93
84
64
78
Wind (km/h)
10
SE
15
SE
10
SE
5
S
10
SE
5
S
5
SSW
10
ENE
10
NNW
10
N
20
NNE
15
N
10
N
10
NE
5
WNW
0
E
10
ENE
10
NNW
10
N
20
NNE
25
N
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
glassy
cross
cross-off
glassy
on
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
11:48AM1.28m
11:35PM1.11m
12:42PM1.24m
00:20AM0.96m
1:49PM1.21m
1:26AM0.85m
3:05PM1.21m
3:01AM0.80m
4:16PM1.27m
4:25AM0.83m
5:11PM1.35m
5:23AM0.89m
5:54PM1.45m
Low Tide
5:49PM0.45m
5:52AM0.26m
6:54PM0.56m
6:36AM0.34m
8:25PM0.62m
7:36AM0.40m
10:07PM0.59m
8:54AM0.42m
11:16PM0.51m
10:07AM0.38m
00:01AM0.41m
11:04AM0.31m
00:36AM0.32m
rain showers
clear
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:13
6:13
6:11
6:11
6:09
6:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
5:24
5:25
5:25
 mm
2
1
3
1
3
1
Temp °C
18
18
17
17
18
17
17
18
17
19
19
17
20
19
17
19
19
18
20
20
17
Feels °C
14
15
15
17
17
16
17
16
15
16
16
14
19
18
16
18
18
17
18
18
13
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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