Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, NE swell with 211 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 7s. 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 1.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Broken Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with ya – this is not a classic run for Broken Head. We’ve got a drawn-out forecast with only a couple of windows that’ll get the blood pumping, and plenty of ordinary days in between. The swell stays generally small, but the direction is mostly from the ENE, which is about bang on the money for this exposed point. The water temp is sitting at 68°, a touch cooler than average for this time of year, so you might want a steamer if you’re heading out early.
The first real glimmer comes up on Saturday morning, August 22. It’s nothing to write home about – 3 ft of ENE swell with a short 7-second period – but with a light WSW offshore breeze under a cloudy sky, the surface is glassy clean. The combined energy is only 89 (weak), so it’s barely got any push. Still, for a beginner-friendly point like Broken Head, it’s a fun little ankle-to-knee high roll. Not a standout, but it’s a start.
Wednesday morning, August 26 is where it picks up a notch. We’ve got 4 ft of ENE swell, period still short at 8 seconds, but the energy jumps to 224 (moderate). The wind is glassy from the north at 3 mph, and the model’s calling for good surf conditions. This is the best morning of the first week – clean, small but fun, and the kind of session where you’ll get a few long, crumbly lines down the point. Not big, not hollow, but honest.
The next proper highlight is Monday morning, August 31 into the afternoon. Swell drops a bit to 3 ft from the ENE, but period stretches to 9 seconds and the energy bumps to 232 (moderate). A light SSW offshore breeze is blowing 12 mph, giving you moderate offshore, clean face. The model tags it as good surf conditions. This is your pick for the second week – a solid, clean session for a rippable point break. The afternoon side is also decent, with 3 ft from the SSE and clean cross-off breeze. Not a classic, but consistent and clean.
From there, it fades. Wednesday morning, September 2 has 3 ft of 10-second E swell (127 energy), clean with a light cross-off, but it’s marginal. After that, the wind turns onshore and the swell stays under 3 ft through to the end of the 16-day window. Sunday morning, September 6 throws up 5 ft from the north (331 energy – moderate), but it’s clean cross-off and period is only 5 seconds – a short, messy wind swell. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.
So, where to paddle? Lock in Wednesday August 26 morning for the cleanest, glassy small waves, and Monday August 31 morning for the best combination of clean offshore wind and moderate energy. Everything else is a filler – light, inconsistent, and ordinary.
Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and I’ll see you in the water.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
73 | 54 | 56 | 71 | 86 | 62 | 86 | 72 | 131 | 128 | 94 | 146 | 175 | 161 | 153 | 185 | 134 | 134 | 157 | 144 | 185 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:16PM1.27m | 4:25AM0.83m | 5:11PM1.35m | 5:23AM0.89m | 5:54PM1.45m | 6:06AM0.97m | 6:31PM1.55m | 6:44AM1.05m | 7:04PM1.62m | 7:18AM1.13m | 7:36PM1.67m | 7:52AM1.21m | 8:08PM1.69m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:16PM0.51m | 10:07AM0.38m | 00:01AM0.41m | 11:04AM0.31m | 00:36AM0.32m | 11:49AM0.23m | 1:08AM0.23m | 12:29PM0.16m | 1:38AM0.16m | 1:06PM0.10m | 2:07AM0.10m | 1:42PM0.07m | 2:36AM0.05m | ||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
73 | 54 | 56 | 71 | 86 | 62 | 53 | 72 | 131 | 128 | 94 | 146 | 175 | 161 | 153 | 185 | 134 | 134 | 157 | 144 | 185 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | S 9 | S 11 | ENE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 11 | NE 9 | NE 8 | S 8 | NNE 8 | S 8 |
14 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62 | 50 | 63 | 108 | 80 | 56 | 32 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 76 | 69 | 20 | 44 | 50 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 4 | SSE 12 | S 8 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | S 16 | SSE 16 | S 16 | S 16 | — | S 11 | S 5 | S 5 | S 8 | SSE 13 |
2 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 86 | 31 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 26 | 20 | 5 | — | 9 | 11 | 4 | 41 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 5 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | — | SW 3 | S 4 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 16 | 23 | 15 | — | 2 | 17 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 512 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 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.











