
Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 12s period, SE swell with 944 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. 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 1.8m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 12s |
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 cooking at Broken Head over the next couple of weeks.
It’s a pretty quiet start for the first week or so, with a lot of small, weak pulses. The water temp is sitting at about 69°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the extra rubber just yet.
We’ve got a real standout window coming up, but you’ll need to be patient. The first real surf worth getting excited about arrives on the morning of Sunday, August 3rd. We’re looking at a clean 5ft swell from the SSE, with a light offshore wind from the SSW. It’s not massive, but it’s well-shaped and the energy is moderate (635). The period is a short 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but it’s a great session for beginners and longboarders. The morning of Monday, August 4th is even better, with a 6ft SE groundswell (11 seconds) and glassy offshore wind from the SW. The energy is still moderate (726), but that longer period will push some proper lines through. Just be aware that for a point break like Broken Head, that long period can make it a bit straight, so pick your takeoff spot.
After a few days of tiny, choppy leftovers, the real storm kicks in. The standout for the entire forecast – and I mean a real humdinger – is the morning of Sunday, August 16th. This is a beast. A massive 18ft swell from the ENE, with a very long period of 12 seconds, pounding in with exceptional energy (8269). The wind is a clean offshore from the SSW, making it a clean, heaving beast. This is for experts only – over 8ft and it’s a serious paddle. The afternoon stays solid at 16ft, but the wind goes cross-off, so it’ll still be clean but with a bit more texture.
The days leading up to that are also big. The morning of Saturday, August 15th sees a 15ft ENE swell (10 seconds) with a gentle offshore, and the energy is strong (4058). The afternoon of Thursday, August 14th has a 10ft SSE swell with a clean cross-off wind, which is a very solid option for the experienced crew. The morning of Friday, August 15th is the pick of the mid-range, with a 12ft ENE swell and a clean offshore from the WSW. That’s a proper groundswell (9 seconds) with very strong energy (2065).
As for crowds, Broken Head is "often" busy. When the big stuff hits, you can bet the local crew will be out. For the big days (over 8ft), it’s a paddle for the fit and experienced only.
The stretch from August 5th to August 9th is mostly flat or tiny, with poor conditions. A few glassy mornings early on the 5th and 9th but the swell is tiny (2ft). It’s a waiting game.
So, the headline: The best on offer is the morning of August 16th – a massive, clean, expert-level session. The second best is the morning of August 15th – a slightly smaller but still huge and clean swell. For the less experienced, the morning of August 4th is a solid, clean option.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 676 | 635 | 402 | 550 | 604 | 726 | 527 | 281 | 98 | 48 | 147 | 119 | 122 | 51 | 33 | 36 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-on | glassy | off | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 9:44PM1.65m | 10:10AM1.18m | 10:17PM1.57m | 10:52AM1.21m | 10:54PM1.46m | 11:40AM1.24m | 11:37PM1.32m | 12:36PM1.26m | 00:30AM1.17m | 1:43PM1.30m | 1:40AM1.03m | 2:59PM1.38m | 3:07AM0.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:17PM0.14m | 4:18AM0.09m | 3:56PM0.20m | 4:51AM0.10m | 4:39PM0.27m | 5:26AM0.12m | 5:31PM0.36m | 6:07AM0.16m | 6:38PM0.44m | 6:56AM0.21m | 8:05PM0.49m | 7:57AM0.25m | 9:46PM0.45m | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | |
mm | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | S 7 | ENE 7 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
290 | 2 | 6 | 402 | 550 | 604 | 726 | 527 | 281 | 98 | 48 | 147 | 119 | 122 | 49 | 28 | 123 | 43 | 115 | 234 | 207 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | E 9 | NE 6 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 13 | S 21 | S 21 | ESE 12 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 9 | S 6 | S 7 | ESE 8 | S 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 |
6 | 2 | 2 | 218 | 255 | 295 | 9 | 9 | 29 | 60 | 22 | 16 | 3 | 25 | 51 | 40 | 36 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 26 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | E 18 | E 17 | E 5 | ENE 7 | S 22 | S 21 | N 10 | S 20 | ESE 11 | ENE 6 | NE 8 | SSE 8 | E 18 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | NE 3 | ESE 7 | NNE 8 | NE 7 |
4 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 9 | 36 | 2 | 8 | 39 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 33 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 2 | — | — |
108 | 676 | 635 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 2 | 11 | 51 | 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.











