
Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period, SSE swell with 1,141 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period with ENE 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 2.1m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 11s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 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 Broken Head’s got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, the first week is a bit of a slow burn. There’s some small, clean stuff early on, but nothing that’ll get the heart racing. The real standout is a solid week away, on Friday the 14th of August, when a proper groundswell rolls in. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.
The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so a standard 3/2 wetsuit will do you fine.
Friday 7th August: We kick off with a tiny 2ft ENE swell at Broken Head, but the morning glass-off is a beauty. Light offshore wind from the SW is making it look clean. The energy is weak (76), so expect small, weak waves. It’s surfable for the beginners, but nothing to write home about. The afternoon turns into a cross-on mess, so get your session in early.
Saturday 8th August: A slight bump in size to 3ft on Saturday morning, with the same offshore SW wind. The energy is picking up a bit (112) and the period is stretching to 8 seconds, giving it a little more push. Another small, clean morning session. The afternoon goes cross-shore, so it’ll get a bit bumpy.
Sunday 9th to Tuesday 11th: This stretch is pretty average. The wind gets messy and the swell stays small and junky. The best of it is probably Tuesday morning with a clean 2ft swell and light offshore winds, but the energy is still low (102).
Wednesday 12th & Thursday 13th: Wednesday gets a bit of size (5ft) but it’s a short-period wind swell from the north with cross-onshore wind. Choppy and ugly. Thursday is a complete write-off with tiny 1ft waves.
Friday 14th August (MORNING) – THE STANDOUT: This is where it gets interesting. A solid 7ft SSE groundswell shows up, with a 12-second period. The energy jumps up to a very strong 1173. Best of all, the wind is light offshore from the SW, making for glassy, clean lines. This is proper groundswell with real power. At 7ft, it’s head-high plus and will be pushing into the more experienced territory. The long period and SSE direction will work well at a point break like this, offering some nice, lined-up waves. This is the best session on offer, hands down.
Saturday 15th August onwards: The swell drops right back to a tiny 1ft on Saturday. Sunday the 16th sees a bit of a bump, but with strong winds. The real action picks up again around Monday 17th to Thursday 21st of August. It’s a long-range forecast, so treat it with a pinch of salt, but it looks like a solid run of ESE swell. The energy readings are huge, hitting 2757 by Friday the 21st with 10ft @ 13 seconds. That’s massive, solid groundswell. The wind looks clean for the mornings, but the swell sizes between 8ft and 10ft make this strictly for experts only. The long period (12-13 seconds) will mean the sets are powerful and waiting, but at a point break like Broken Head, it should hold up well.
Thursday 20th & Friday 21st August: These are the other top picks in the long range. Thursday the 20th has 8ft E swell at 11 seconds with light winds and a massive 1646 energy. Friday the 21st is the monster: 10ft @ 13 seconds from the E with a glassy offshore wind. The energy is 2757. That is a serious, powerful swell. Not for the faint of heart.
Summary: The first week is small and clean for the most part but not really worth the paddle. The absolute standout is Friday 14th of August – that SSE groundswell with offshore wind is the clear winner. After that, the long-range forecast from the 19th to the 22nd looks massive for the big-wave crew, but it’s a long way out.
Stay frothy, and I’ll see you out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the N by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the W by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | N 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
52 | 44 | 53 | 75 | 169 | 230 | 189 | 153 | 150 | 149 | 96 | 78 | 81 | 83 | 87 | 190 | 191 | 63 | 30 | 29 | 31 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 2:59PM1.38m | 3:07AM0.94m | 4:14PM1.50m | 4:31AM0.93m | 5:19PM1.64m | 5:40AM0.98m | 6:15PM1.78m | 6:35AM1.05m | 7:05PM1.87m | 7:24AM1.13m | 7:50PM1.91m | 8:08AM1.21m | 8:32PM1.88m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:46PM0.45m | 9:09AM0.25m | 11:11PM0.34m | 10:21AM0.20m | 00:14AM0.22m | 11:25AM0.11m | 1:05AM0.11m | 12:20PM0.03m | 1:49AM0.04m | 1:10PM-0.04m | 2:28AM-0.00m | 1:57PM-0.05m | 3:05AM-0.01m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 13 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | E 10 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 10 | S 10 | S 11 |
52 | 44 | 53 | 75 | 169 | 230 | 189 | 153 | 150 | 149 | 72 | 78 | 81 | 83 | 31 | 88 | 191 | 63 | 30 | 121 | 750 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | NE 8 | SSE 9 | S 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NE 7 | S 8 | E 9 | S 10 | E 9 | E 10 | S 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 |
73 | 71 | 71 | 68 | 46 | 42 | 35 | 8 | 5 | 123 | 96 | 12 | 21 | 6 | 87 | 53 | 63 | 46 | 24 | 29 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | E 8 | S 3 | NE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | E 14 | S 8 | E 13 | NE 7 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 10 | SSW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | N 6 |
24 | 20 | 28 | 37 | 2 | 20 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 55 | 28 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | W 3 | W 4 | WSW 4 | W 3 | NNE 7 | N 5 | N 6 | WNW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | S 11 |
2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 37 | 138 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 29 | 58 | 190 | 11 | 100 | 31 | 15 | 1158 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 243 | 208 | 20 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 185 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 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.











