Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, ESE swell with 302 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period with ESE 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 (Aug 20) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. 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 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Broken Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—the next week or so at Broken Head is a tough one. We’ve got a big stretch of flat, junked-out days from Thursday morning all the way to Wednesday the 28th, so patience is key.
Your one real shot for a decent paddle is Thursday morning August 20. Broken Head (point) is waking up to a 1.6m swell out of the ESE, with an 8-second period and moderate energy (310). The wind’s glassy from the SSW, so it’s gonna be clean, smooth, and glassy. That’s the standout—solid chest-high lines on the point, and crowds are likely to show up, but it’s worth it.
After that, it’s downhill. Thursday afternoon sees onshore ENE wind at 10 mph, dropping the surf to 1.4m but making it choppy. Friday and Saturday are tiny—0.8m to 0.9m with onshore or cross-on winds, total washout. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th mornings glass off again, but you’re only looking at 0.9m to 1.0m swell with weak energy (88-119). Surfable but very ordinary.
Then from Monday afternoon through Wednesday the 28th, northerly winds at 12 to 18 mph kill everything. Waves stay under 1.0m, and it’s choppy and messy. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.
Now, looking way out: Tuesday September 1 brings a proper pulse—2.5m swell from the SSE with a very long 14-second period and massive energy (2621). Problem is, the wind is cross-onshore from the ENE at 9 mph, so it’s choppy. Over 2.5m is expert-only, and that long period works best at the point, but the wind holds it back. The real one to watch is Thursday September 3 morning: a 3.0m SSE swell with a 12-second period, glassy conditions with a light SW breeze, and huge energy (2562). That’s excellent for experienced surfers, but it’s over a week away, so it’s promising but not set in stone.
Water temp’s 68°F, about average for this time of year.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 232 | 300 | 265 | 63 | 59 | 41 | 78 | 75 | 81 | 88 | 98 | 88 | 93 | 85 | 113 | 101 | 131 | 96 | 161 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:20AM0.96m | 1:49PM1.21m | 1:26AM0.85m | 3:05PM1.21m | 3:01AM0.80m | 4:16PM1.27m | 4:25AM0.83m | 5:11PM1.35m | 5:23AM0.89m | 5:54PM1.45m | 6:06AM0.97m | 6:31PM1.55m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:36AM0.34m | 8:25PM0.62m | 7:36AM0.40m | 10:07PM0.59m | 8:54AM0.42m | 11:16PM0.51m | 10:07AM0.38m | 00:01AM0.41m | 11:04AM0.31m | 00:36AM0.32m | 11:49AM0.23m | 1:08AM0.23m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 232 | 300 | 265 | 63 | 59 | 41 | 78 | 75 | 81 | 88 | 98 | 88 | 93 | 85 | 113 | 101 | 131 | 96 | 161 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | E 11 | E 10 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | ESE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | S 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 |
| kJ | 15 | 10 | 8 | 55 | 39 | 27 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 39 | 18 | 37 | 37 | 33 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | — | SSE 10 | E 7 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | E 13 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 8 | S 7 | S 18 | SSE 14 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | S 17 | S 16 |
| kJ | 29 | — | 10 | 38 | 28 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 38 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | NE 4 | NNW 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | 10 | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 264 | 20 | 2 | 86 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 264 | 20 | 41 | 436 | 19 |
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.
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