
Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 8s period, ESE swell with 698 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Broken Head in the next 16 days are 2.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Broken Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, grab ya coffee, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at the next few weeks.
The first few days are a bit of a flat spell, to be honest. We’re looking at a gap from now until Monday the 17th of August with no real recommendations. There’s small surf around, but it’s ordinary – not worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting at about 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.
The first real window of decent waves kicks off on Monday morning, the 17th of August. Broken Head (point) will be seeing 5 ft of easterly groundswell, with a period of 7 seconds and combined energy of 244 (moderate). The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, so it’ll be clean. That’s a solid pick for a session – not huge, but fun. The afternoon goes a bit messy, though, with a 8 ft SE swell and strong cross-shore winds, so stick to the morning.
Tuesday the 18th keeps the swell going – 7 ft from the ESE in the morning, but the wind is cross-shore, making it a bit lumpy. The energy is up to 549 (strong) but it’s not going to be that clean. For the more experienced, it might be worth a look, but it’s not a standout.
From Wednesday the 19th through to Friday the 21st, we’ve got a consistent run of good conditions. On Wednesday morning, the swell is 4 ft from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds and energy of 464 (strong). The wind is light and cross-offshore, so it’s clean. The afternoons hold up too, with a similar swell and clean wind. The best of the bunch is Friday the 21st – morning sees 5 ft from the ESE with a 9-second period and 376 energy (strong), with a gentle offshore breeze. That’s a standout for sure. The water is still clean, and the point setup should handle the longer period well.
Now, for the absolute highlight of the whole forecast period, you’ve got to look at the morning of Saturday the 22nd of August. Broken Head is going to be glassy – I mean, dead flat breeze, offshore, with a nice 4 ft of east swell at 10 seconds. The energy is 245 (moderate), but the conditions will be about as perfect as you can get. No crowds mentioned, but it’s a known spot, so expect a few. That’s the session to circle on the calendar.
Sunday the 23rd morning is also a cracker – glassy again, 4 ft of ENE swell, now with an 11-second period (longer period groundswell), and energy of 349 (moderate). The point will love that. After that, the surf starts to fade and the winds turn onshore. By Tuesday the 25th, we’re back to small, ordinary waves, and the rest of the week looks pretty flat and messy.
So, the standout is Saturday the 22nd morning – glassy, clean, and a solid 4 ft of east swell. Friday the 21st morning is a close second. If you’re an expert, the bigger days around 7 ft on Tuesday might be worth a paddle, but the wind isn’t ideal. Otherwise, get in the water on the weekend.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 46mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Sat morning, light winds from the S by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 7 | E 10 | SSE 6 | ESE 6 | E 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
83 | 85 | 83 | 60 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 181 | 28 | 28 | 219 | 51 | 191 | 97 | 215 | 616 | 670 | 549 | 326 | 302 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 7:50PM1.91m | 8:08AM1.21m | 8:32PM1.88m | 8:51AM1.27m | 9:11PM1.78m | 9:34AM1.31m | 9:48PM1.64m | 10:16AM1.33m | 10:23PM1.46m | 11:00AM1.32m | 10:58PM1.28m | 11:48AM1.28m | 11:35PM1.11m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:10PM-0.04m | 2:28AM-0.00m | 1:57PM-0.05m | 3:05AM-0.01m | 2:42PM-0.02m | 3:40AM0.01m | 3:26PM0.07m | 4:12AM0.05m | 4:11PM0.18m | 4:44AM0.11m | 4:57PM0.32m | 5:17AM0.18m | 5:49PM0.45m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
— | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Temp °C | 20 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 7 | S 8 | E 9 | S 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 7 | S 7 | ENE 10 | S 7 | E 7 | S 16 | S 16 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
196 | 149 | 98 | 55 | 212 | 43 | 253 | 42 | 42 | 28 | 28 | 219 | 295 | 32 | 60 | 215 | 5 | 5 | 549 | 326 | 302 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 10 | E 9 | NE 9 | SSE 19 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | ENE 9 | E 5 | SSE 16 | ENE 10 | S 8 | E 13 | E 13 | S 10 | S 9 | SE 11 |
83 | 85 | 83 | 60 | 43 | 4 | 43 | 3 | 35 | 25 | 22 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 32 | 74 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 15 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 9 | NNE 7 | S 19 | NE 9 | S 15 | S 20 | N 8 | S 20 | SSE 19 | E 10 | E 15 | ENE 7 | SSE 12 | E 13 | E 13 | S 9 | E 12 | S 19 |
11 | 10 | 9 | 43 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 30 | 1 | 8 | 36 | 49 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 3 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 4 | S 7 | — | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | S 6 | SSE 7 | — | ESE 5 | SSE 6 | ESE 6 | — | SE 8 | ESE 8 | — | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
— | — | 16 | 128 | — | 333 | 357 | 257 | 181 | 173 | 322 | — | 51 | 191 | 97 | — | 616 | 670 | — | 158 | 193 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 61 | 15 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 266 | 20 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 61 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
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.











