Surf Forecasts:
Broken Head surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 14s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, ENE swell with 361 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Broken Head in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) 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 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
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 offer around Broken Head over the next couple of weeks.
The outlook is a bit of a slow burn, to be honest. There’s a bit of small, workable swell on the cards, but the real standout windows are tucked away in the mornings, especially when that offshore or glassy wind kicks in. Overall, the combined energy stays moderate, with readings often in the 100s and 200s (moderate energy), and a few pulses pushing into the 300s, which is a sign of more push.
The water temperature is sitting at about 68°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so not much to report there.
Let’s start with the first real chance. Friday the 21st is a write-off – cloudy, onshore wind at 12 mph, and only 3 ft of weak, short-period NE windswell. Not worth paddling out.
Saturday the 22nd looks better. Early morning, the wind swings to a light W at 3 mph, going glassy, with 3 ft of ENE swell. It’s still short period at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit soft and walled off, but the clean conditions make it a pleasant session for a beginner or mellow surfer. The combined energy is 109 (moderate). Afternoon gets cross-on, so skip it.
Sunday the 23rd: morning is the pick, with a clear sky and a light offshore SW wind at 6 mph, cleaning up the same 3 ft of ENE swell. Combined energy is 79 (weak), so it’s not punchy, but it’ll be fun for a longboard.
Monday the 24th morning: the swell drops to 2 ft, but the period jumps to 12 seconds – a proper groundswell. Combined energy is 192 (moderate). That long period will make for better shaped waves at the point, but the size is tiny. Offshore SW wind at 6 mph keeps it clean. Worth a look if you’re a log specialist.
Tuesday the 25th morning: back to 3 ft of ENE swell, but with a glassy NNE wind at 3 mph. The energy is 108 (moderate). It’s not exciting, but it’s clean.
Now, the first real standout: Wednesday the 26th morning. The swell picks up to 4 ft from the ENE, with a light offshore WSW wind at 3 mph. Combined energy jumps to 219 (moderate). The period is still 8 seconds, so it’s windswell, but the size and clean conditions make it the best of the first week. Expect good surf conditions.
Thursday the 27th morning is another good one. Swell is 5 ft from the ENE, with a solid offshore SSW wind at 9 mph for clean, lined-up waves. Combined energy is 306 (moderate). This is getting into the fun zone, with a bit of push. The 8-second period means it’ll be a bit sectiony, but the offshore wind will help hold the faces up. This is the top pick for the first week.
Friday the 28th morning: glassy, calm wind, with 4 ft of ENE swell. Combined energy is 188 (moderate). A clean, if not powerful, session.
Saturday the 29th morning: again glassy, with 3 ft of E swell, 8 seconds. Combined energy 197 (moderate). Clean but small.
Sunday the 30th morning: 3 ft, cross-off SSE wind, clean. Energy 127 (moderate). Not a standout.
Monday the 31st: a bit of a weird one. The swell is only 1 ft, but the period is a massive 19 seconds – very long. Combined energy is 229 (moderate). That long period means the waves will be super straight at a beach break, but at a point like Broken Head, it could wrap in nicely, though it’ll be very small and fat. The morning has a light cross-off SSE wind, so it’s clean. This is more of a novelty for a longboard.
Looking into the second week, the forecast is less certain, but there’s a promising window. Wednesday the 2nd of September morning: 3 ft of E swell with a 10-second period, glassy SSE wind. Combined energy is 368 (moderate). That’s a good pulse of energy and clean conditions. This is a solid option, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.
Friday the 4th of September morning: another glassy morning, 3 ft of ENE swell at 10 seconds. Combined energy is 323 (moderate). Another clean, moderate-sized morning.
The best of the whole outlook is Thursday the 27th of August morning, with 5 ft of ENE swell and a solid offshore wind. After that, Wednesday the 26th morning and Wednesday the 2nd of September morning are also worth marking on the calendar. Most of the afternoons are blown out or onshore, so plan for dawn patrols.
Crowds at Broken Head can be often, so expect company, especially on those clean, glassy mornings. The spot is fairly consistent, so there’s nearly always something to ride, even if it’s small.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
55 | 33 | 81 | 54 | 56 | 71 | 62 | 57 | 121 | 70 | 99 | 103 | 128 | 192 | 191 | 201 | 291 | 306 | 270 | 163 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | off | on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:01AM0.80m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:29PM0.16m | 1:38AM0.16m | 1:06PM0.10m | 2:07AM0.10m | |||||||
— | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | S 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
26 | 33 | 81 | 54 | 56 | 71 | 62 | 57 | 48 | 70 | 99 | 103 | 49 | 192 | 191 | 201 | 291 | 306 | 270 | 163 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 8 | S 9 | S 5 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | ESE 5 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | NE 9 |
23 | 27 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 121 | 91 | 112 | 78 | 3 | 29 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 81 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | ESE 9 | E 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | S 15 | S 11 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | S 18 | S 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | S 15 | — | S 16 | S 4 |
3 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 88 | 23 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 26 | 4 | — | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NNE 4 | N 4 | — | — | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | — | — | — | — | SW 2 | S 3 | — |
55 | 20 | 12 | — | — | 6 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | 128 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 236 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 264 | 20 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











