Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, SSE swell with 497 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 31 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Burleigh Heads this week:
The surf forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Burleigh Heads in the next 16 days are 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) 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 1.9m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's see what the Gold Coast has to offer.
Right off the bat, the water at Burleigh Heads is 69°F, which is dead average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first few days, from Thursday the 30th of July through Friday the 1st of August, are a total write-off. We're looking at ankle-slappers with a weak energy reading (34) and a stiff cross-off breeze. Not worth getting the wetsuit wet.
Things perk up a bit around the 1st of August. Saturday morning sees a bump to 5ft from the SSE, with solid energy (458) and a clean cross-off wind. It's a decent pulse, but a bit on the marginal side. Sunday the 2nd shows similar size, 5ft from the SSE, but the wind gets more cross-shore in the afternoon, chopping it up.
The standout window, the one you need to pencil in, is Monday the 3rd of August. The morning session is the best of the bunch. We've got a solid 4ft swell from the SSE, holding around 10 seconds, and the energy is pumping at 541. But the real story is the wind: dead calm, glassy, from the south at only 3 mph. That's clean, lined-up Burleigh at its finest. This is the best bet in the whole 16-day window. The afternoon is still clean, just a light cross-on breeze.
After that, the swell fades fast. Tuesday and Wednesday are small and weak, with energy levels dropping below 200. The second week, from the 8th of August onward, is a lot of tiny, inconsistent swells. There are a few glassy mornings with knee-high waves, like the 9th and the 13th, but nothing with any real power. The energy readings are mostly weak, barely reaching 100.
So, to put it simply: if you're only paddling out once, make it the early session on Monday the 3rd of August. That's your window for clean, waist-to-chest high waves.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 13 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 10 | ESE 12 | SE 7 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | S 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 17 | 32 | 49 | 22 | 326 | 435 | 15 | 342 | 398 | 421 | 299 | 327 | 433 | 246 | 90 | 64 | 55 | 72 | 58 | 113 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 8:39PM1.72m | 8:56AM1.13m | 9:11PM1.72m | 9:32AM1.16m | 9:43PM1.68m | 10:09AM1.19m | 10:16PM1.60m | 10:51AM1.22m | 10:53PM1.48m | 11:38AM1.25m | 11:37PM1.34m | 12:33PM1.27m | 00:31AM1.18m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:16AM0.11m | 2:39PM0.12m | 3:47AM0.09m | 3:15PM0.15m | 4:18AM0.09m | 3:54PM0.20m | 4:51AM0.10m | 4:38PM0.27m | 5:26AM0.14m | 5:30PM0.36m | 6:06AM0.18m | 6:37PM0.44m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | SE 15 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | S 9 |
| kJ | 24 | 32 | 49 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 37 | 258 | 269 | 327 | 433 | 246 | 90 | 62 | 55 | 72 | 58 | 113 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | ESE 12 | SE 16 | E 16 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ESE 9 | SSE 8 | NE 7 | SSE 9 | S 7 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 17 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 198 | 5 | 299 | 184 | 22 | 25 | 53 | 64 | 24 | 8 | 27 | 41 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | NE 8 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | E 9 | E 17 | E 12 | NE 16 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | E 15 | ESE 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 17 | 18 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 48 | 30 | 4 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 31 | 11 | 22 | 44 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 10 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | — | E 4 |
| kJ | 59 | 121 | 113 | 230 | 326 | 435 | 177 | 342 | 398 | 421 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 12 | 3 | 11 | 149 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Burleigh Heads Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Burleigh Heads provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Burleigh Heads can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Burleigh Heads 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 (Burleigh Heads) 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 Burleigh Heads 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.
Burleigh Heads is 10 km (6 miles) from the city of Surfers Paradise. If you plan a holiday in Gold Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Surfers Paradise. Surfers Paradise has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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