
Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 3,728 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 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 Thursday (Sep 17) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. 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 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Broken Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Broken Head.
Right now, we’re looking at a real mixed bag. The opening of this run isn't much to write home about – there's a bit of swell around on Wednesday morning but it's all over the place, with a cross-off breeze and some rain. Don’t get too excited, the energy is weak (17). It’s really just a hint of things to come.
By Thursday the 17th, the ocean really steps up, but the windows aren't great. You’ve got a solid 10ft of SSE swell pushing in with a fair bit of grunt behind it – the combined energy is up there in the strong range (2309 on Thursday morning). But the wind is fresh and cross-off, making it messy and pretty marginal. Unless you’re a local who knows every rock, this is probably more of a look-and-see day. The swell is well over the 8ft mark, so honestly, this is only for the experts, and even then, it's pretty average.
Friday the 18th is where things start to click into place. The swell drops to a much more manageable 6ft from the SSE, the period is a touch better, and the wind goes light out of the south – a proper cross-off. This is the standout of the whole first week. The energy is moderate (554) but the conditions make it way better than the numbers suggest. This is your day to get out there. Broken Head (New South Wales) is a point break, and with that light offshore and a 9-second period, it should be holding shape nicely.
The weekend washes out a bit. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th see the swell fade right out, dropping to under 3ft. The wind swings onshore and it just goes small and messy. There’s nothing really ridable here. You’re better off doing something else with your time.
Monday the 21st is interesting but tricky. There’s a very long-period swell in the water – a 17-second interval – but it’s tiny, only about 2ft. It’s glassy in the morning, which is great, but that long period at a point break like this can make it break a bit too straight. It’s more of a novelty than a proper session. The energy is still weak (173). Not a headline day.
Tuesday the 22nd stays small, with a bit more cross-off wind, but still pretty ordinary. The week from the 23rd through to the 27th is a bit of a flat spell, honestly. The swell stays small, under 5ft, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, kicking up chop. There's nothing here that gets the heart rate up.
Then things get interesting again around Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th. We see a solid pulse of ENE swell building to around 6ft – 7ft, but the wind is a problem. It's cross-on and choppy, so the quality is poor. It's just messy, onshore surf. However, Tuesday afternoon on the 29th is the real sneaky gem of this whole outlook. The swell holds at 6ft from the ENE, but the wind swings to a light southerly, giving us a clean, cross-off condition. The energy is moderate to strong (604), and it's shaping up to be an excellent session. Mark that one down.
The final day, Wednesday the 30th, is a bit of a letdown – the swell drops back to about 5ft and the wind goes onshore. A bit of a nothing finish.
So, if you’re picking your battles, Friday the 18th and Tuesday afternoon the 29th are the standouts. The rest is mostly small, choppy, or just too big and windblown. There’s a big gap of nothing from the 23rd to the 27th where you can sleep in.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed night, light winds from the S by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 5 | ENE 6 | SSE 8 | NE 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 20 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | N 4 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
43 | 13 | 1313 | 7 | 2307 | 1663 | 970 | 551 | 368 | 115 | 91 | 64 | 31 | 20 | 73 | 79 | 168 | 50 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 10:20PM1.14m | 11:03AM1.36m | 10:58PM1.00m | 11:54AM1.29m | 11:46PM0.89m | 12:58PM1.22m | 1:01AM0.81m | 2:17PM1.20m | 2:42AM0.79m | 3:31PM1.25m | 4:02AM0.85m | 4:28PM1.33m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:24AM0.21m | 5:24PM0.43m | 4:59AM0.30m | 6:26PM0.52m | 5:44AM0.39m | 7:51PM0.57m | 6:49AM0.45m | 9:27PM0.54m | 8:16AM0.47m | 10:34PM0.47m | 9:34AM0.43m | 11:17PM0.37m | |||||||
— | 5:43 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 15 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | ENE 6 | E 13 | NE 13 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 8 | S 11 | S 9 | SSE 8 | N 4 |
43 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 970 | 551 | 368 | 198 | 207 | 158 | 143 | 102 | 73 | 116 | 57 | 21 | 13 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | E 14 | S 17 | — | — | NE 13 | E 12 | E 12 | S 19 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 16 | SSE 20 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | S 11 |
18 | 4 | 6 | — | — | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 115 | 91 | 64 | 31 | 20 | 50 | 79 | 168 | 50 | 91 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | S 19 | S 19 | NE 12 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | NNE 4 | N 4 | E 8 | E 8 | NNE 4 | SSE 11 | E 8 |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 6 | 61 | 53 | 51 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 40 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | NNW 2 | NNE 4 | — | — | NE 4 | N 4 | — | NNE 4 | N 4 |
10 | 707 | 1313 | 3737 | 2307 | 1663 | 1300 | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | 4 | 14 | — | 5 | 25 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 264 | 1324 | 221 | 60 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 429 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 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.










