Broken Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.71° S 153.62° E

Broken Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 01 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Broken Head sea temperature is
20.5°C
0.3° 

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 31 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, N swell with 187 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s is also forecast. 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 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 11s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Tue 1st Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Best Surf10AM (Tue 1st Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Most Powerful 7AM (Tue 8th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the local stretch. The forecast starts off with a bit of a letdown, I gotta be honest. For the first week and a half, there’s barely a whisper of decent surf. The windows are few and far between, and most of it is blown out or too small to get excited about. You’ll be staring at flat, choppy, or messy conditions for most of that run. But hang in there, because the second half of the period has a proper pulse of energy that’s worth waiting for.

The only real standout in this whole 16-day window is Broken Head (a point break) on the morning of Thursday the 10th of September. That morning, a solid 8ft SSE groundswell rolls in with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined swell energy is pumping at a strong 1,679. The wind is blowing clean and cross-off from the SSE at 16 mph, so the faces should be looking pretty tidy. That’s proper, powerful surf – not for the faint-hearted, mind you. Over 8ft, that’s expert territory, and with a long-period swell like that, it’ll work best peeling down the point rather than just closing out. The afternoon stays clean with a 6ft swell and even more energy (2,374), but the morning is the pick for the biggest, most powerful sets.

Before that, the first week is a write-off. Tuesday the 1st has a tiny 1ft SSE groundswell in the morning with glassy, clean conditions, but it’s barely enough to get excited about. The rest of that week and into the next is plagued by onshore winds, small lumpy junk, and hardly any energy. There’s a long gap from the 1st right through to the 9th where you’d be wasting your time.

After the 10th, the swell drops off quickly. Friday the 11th still has a solid 7ft SSE swell, but the wind is cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit crumbly. The energy is still moderate (886 in the morning), but it’s not as clean as the day before. By Saturday and Sunday, it’s back to smaller, onshore slop. The last day, Wednesday the 16th of September, has a tiny 2ft SSE swell in the morning with glassy, light wind – it’s surfable and clean, but really small. If you’re desperate for a paddle, it’s there, but it’s no highlight.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a flat, windy mess. The one true standout is the morning of Thursday the 10th at Broken Head. That’s your window. Get on it if you’ve got the nerve for a big, clean groundswell.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
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)
0.8
SSE
8
0.8
ENE
10
0.6
E
10
0.6
E
10
0.5
E
10
0.5
E
9
1
N
5
1
NNE
5
0.9
NNE
6
0.7
NNE
6
0.9
SSE
7
0.7
SSE
12
0.4
E
9
1.2
NNE
5
0.9
NNE
6
0.7
NNE
6
0.4
E
10
0.6
SSE
14
0.4
ENE
9
0.4
SSE
13
1.4
NNE
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
82
131
68
70
48
45
53
58
55
35
89
145
27
59
54
34
31
147
29
70
109
Wind (km/h)
5
SSW
15
NNE
15
NNW
10
NNW
20
N
15
NNW
10
NW
20
N
5
W
5
SSE
15
ENE
10
W
10
NNE
25
N
10
NNW
20
S
10
ESE
10
SSE
10
S
20
NNE
20
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-on
High Tide
10:23AM1.40m
10:29PM1.32m
11:12AM1.39m
11:15PM1.16m
12:11PM1.38m
00:16AM1.01m
1:25PM1.38m
1:39AM0.89m
2:48PM1.42m
3:16AM0.87m
4:05PM1.52m
4:35AM0.93m
5:07PM1.63m
Low Tide
4:29PM0.24m
4:45AM0.13m
5:26PM0.34m
5:27AM0.20m
6:40PM0.42m
6:22AM0.27m
8:17PM0.45m
7:35AM0.32m
9:55PM0.40m
9:00AM0.30m
11:06PM0.29m
10:17AM0.23m
11:59PM0.18m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
5:58
5:58
5:56
5:56
5:54
5:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:31
5:32
5:32
 mm
1
Temp °C
18
19
17
23
21
19
27
27
23
22
21
20
27
27
23
22
21
19
22
21
19
Feels °C
17
17
14
21
18
16
24
24
21
20
19
20
24
24
21
20
21
20
23
20
19
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Broken Head:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Broken Head surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest