Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 564 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period with ESE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 12s. 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been looking over the charts for our stretch. The good news is there’s a bit of a pulse coming through later in the window, but we’ve got a long wait for anything that’ll get you truly frothing. The first week and a half is pretty gutless, with only a few very average sessions on offer. The real standout looks like it’ll be the morning of Wednesday the 19th, and then maybe the very end of the month for a bit more size.
The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about 1° cooler than the long-term average for this time of year – so nothing too wild, just a touch on the cooler side of normal for Burleigh Heads.
We kick off with a bit of a tease on Tuesday the 18th afternoon. There’s a 7ft swell from the SE at 8 seconds, but it’s messy with a cross-shore wind and a cross-chop. The combined energy is moderate at 578, but the conditions are poor – not worth paddling out for.
The first real highlight is Wednesday the 19th morning. Burleigh Heads is looking clean with a 5ft swell from the SSE, an 11-second period, and a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is a solid 735, and the wave comment says expect very good surf. This is likely the best of the early run – it should be lined up, with that longer period giving it some punch. It’s a spot that handles a SE swell well, and it’s actually coming from the optimum direction of SSE. Keep in mind, Burleigh can get crowded, and “often” is the word here, so you’ll have company. It’s a consistent point break, so you can bank on waves.
Thursday the 20th morning has a clean 5ft ESE swell at 8 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is lower at 303, and while the comment says good surf, it’s a step down from the day before. The afternoon swings to a cross-shore with a slight chop, and the swell height is similar, but the quality dips.
From Friday the 21st morning through to the end of August, it’s pretty grim. We get a glassy morning on the 21st with a tiny 3ft ENE swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, and the energy is weak at 147. The comment says “surfable but very ordinary”, and that’s being generous. The next week is filled with onshore winds, tiny swells, and poor conditions. There’s a glassy morning on the 26th, but again, only 3ft at 8 seconds – barely worth a splash.
The second week starts to look a bit more promising right at the tail end. On Sunday the 30th afternoon, we see a 2ft SSE swell with a very long 14-second period, and the combined energy is 587. The wind is a clean cross-offshore, but the wave comment calls it marginal. The long period at a point like Burleigh can be great, giving you those long, lined-up walls, but the size is small. The real kicker might be Monday the 31st morning: a 4ft SSE swell at 10 seconds, with a cross-offshore breeze and energy of 621. Still called marginal, but with a bit more size and decent period, it’s the best of the late run. After that, it drops off again into early September.
So, bottom line: if you’re keen, hit Wednesday the 19th morning for the best waves of the week. The Monday the 31st morning is a bit of a gamble but could be a sleeper if the wind plays ball. The rest of the stretch is a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
521 | 564 | 533 | 224 | 378 | 308 | 154 | 64 | 57 | 84 | 89 | 130 | 137 | 105 | 104 | 93 | 98 | 89 | 109 | |
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-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:34PM1.13m | 12:41PM1.25m | 00:21AM0.99m | 1:48PM1.21m | 1:30AM0.88m | 3:04PM1.21m | 3:06AM0.83m | 4:14PM1.27m | 4:29AM0.86m | 5:09PM1.36m | 5:26AM0.92m | 5:52PM1.46m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:53AM0.26m | 6:51PM0.57m | 6:38AM0.35m | 8:20PM0.62m | 7:39AM0.42m | 10:02PM0.59m | 8:58AM0.44m | 11:12PM0.50m | 10:11AM0.40m | 11:58PM0.40m | 11:06AM0.33m | 00:34AM0.31m | |||||||
— | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | SE 11 | ENE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
99 | 564 | 70 | 224 | 378 | 308 | 154 | 64 | 57 | 84 | 89 | 130 | 137 | 105 | 104 | 93 | 98 | 89 | 109 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | — | — | NE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | NE 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 10 |
— | 105 | 68 | 64 | — | — | 42 | 44 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | — | — | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 13 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | S 9 | S 6 | S 8 | SE 16 | S 16 | — |
— | 20 | 18 | 15 | — | — | 9 | 34 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 5 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | — | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 | N 4 |
521 | — | 533 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0 | 5 | 194 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











