Burleigh Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.09° S 153.46° E

Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 09 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Burleigh Heads sea temperature is
20.3° C
0.5° 

Burleigh Heads surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, SSE swell with 567 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period with E 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 9s period. 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 1.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Mon 10th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 9s
Best Surf10PM (Thu 13th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 8s
Most Powerful 4PM (Fri 14th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on offer for Burleigh Heads over the next couple of weeks. It’s a slow burn, with a real dry spell early on. The first week is mostly dead, and you’ll be waiting until around Thursday the 20th of August before anything worth talking about shows up. There’s a big gap of poor to non-existent surf through the opening days.

From Sunday the 9th right through to Sunday the 16th, it’s pretty grim. Swells are small, winds are messy, and nothing has any real punch. Monday the 10th sees a 6ft north swell, but with a 6-second period and a fresh cross-onshore breeze, it’s just lumpy junk. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are clean but tiny, with 2ft east swells and combined energy barely hitting the 80s – not enough to bother with. Thursday the 13th morning is similar, 2ft and clean, but weak. Friday the 14th morning shows a cleaner 6ft from the SSE with a 9-second period and moderate energy (559), but it’s still only marginal. The afternoons get chopped up. So yeah, nothing to get excited about.

Into the second week, Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th bring moderate swells around 6ft to 8ft, but cross-shore winds and rain showers keep it lumpy. More of a kite session than a paddle.

Things finally kick off on Thursday the 20th of August. Morning brings a solid 8ft east swell with a 10-second period and strong combined energy of 1398. Winds are cross-off from the south at 12 mph, keeping the surface clean. This is expert territory – over 8ft and powerful. Water temperature sits around 69°, which is just about normal for the time of year, only half a degree cooler than average. This is a standout for experienced surfers only.

But the real gem is Friday the 21st of August. Early morning, the wind goes dead calm – glassy as it gets. Swell holds at 8ft from the east, 10-second period, and combined energy still strong at 1034. Expect very good surf conditions. Burleigh Heads is a consistent point break, exposed to the swell, and it does get crowded often, but for a morning like that, it’s well worth it. The optimum swell direction is SSE, and we’re getting east, so not a perfect match, but with glass and that much energy, the waves will be clean and lined up.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd keep the run going – clean mornings with cross-off winds, east swells around 7ft to 8ft, and periods stretching to 11 seconds on Saturday, giving it a real groundswell feel. That longer period means better shaped waves and longer lulls, making the paddle out easier. Again, these are for experienced surfers.

So in short – the first week is a bust. But hold out for the final days. Friday the 21st of August morning is your best bet: glassy, solid 8ft east swell, clean as a whistle. That’s the one.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
E
9
1
E
9
0.9
E
9
1.9
N
6
0.8
E
9
0.8
E
9
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
9
0.6
E
9
0.6
E
9
0.8
SSE
8
1.7
SSE
9
1.8
SSE
9
1.9
SSE
9
1.4
SSE
8
1.4
SSE
8
1.3
SSE
8
1.3
SSE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
185
146
119
258
101
99
78
78
87
83
83
60
60
77
463
516
567
262
243
197
192
Wind (km/h)
10
N
20
NNE
20
NNW
30
NNW
25
W
10
WNW
5
WNW
5
ENE
10
WSW
10
WNW
10
NW
10
WSW
5
SSE
25
SE
10
SSW
15
SSE
25
SE
15
S
15
SSE
20
SSE
15
S
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
5:18PM1.66m
5:39AM0.99m
6:14PM1.80m
6:34AM1.07m
7:04PM1.89m
7:22AM1.16m
7:49PM1.92m
8:07AM1.24m
8:30PM1.89m
8:50AM1.31m
9:09PM1.79m
9:33AM1.35m
9:46PM1.65m
Low Tide
10:21AM0.21m
00:13AM0.22m
11:25AM0.12m
1:04AM0.11m
12:20PM0.02m
1:47AM0.04m
1:10PM-0.04m
2:26AM-0.00m
1:57PM-0.06m
3:03AM-0.01m
2:42PM-0.02m
3:37AM0.00m
3:26PM0.07m
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:22
6:22
6:20
6:20
6:20
6:18
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:20
5:21
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:22
 mm
1
1
2
Temp °C
19
19
18
20
16
13
21
21
16
22
22
16
18
17
15
19
18
15
18
17
15
Feels °C
16
16
16
17
12
9
19
19
13
18
19
12
14
12
13
14
13
13
15
13
12
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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