Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 10s period, SE swell with 5,335 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 5.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mate, Rusty here again, this time in proper feet and miles. Let's break down the Burleigh Heads forecast.
So, the outlook for the next two weeks at Burleigh Heads is a real mixed bag, and mostly a frustrating one for the first week. From Saturday the 18th onwards, we have a decent run of Southern Ocean groundswell, but the wind is the story. A persistent and strong S to SSE cross-off breeze, gusting up to 25 mph, is just making a mess of things. The wave faces look clean enough, but there's no power or shape to be had. On Sunday the 19th, we see a peak swell of 16 ft from the SE with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 4755, but the wind is howling at 25 mph. It's brutal.
The best chance for a real surf session in the first week will be Wednesday morning the 22nd. The swell has dropped right off to 4 ft from the E with a very short 8-second period, and combined energy is a weak 182. But the wind goes dead calm—glassy. It's tiny, but on a point break like Burleigh, with a glassy surface, you can find a fun little wave on the higher tides. Thursday morning the 23rd starts glassy too, but the swell is even smaller at 3 ft. Those are your two windows.
Then the wind returns in force from Friday the 24th, bringing a 10 ft SSE swell, but it's blown out again. From Saturday the 25th through the rest of the first week and into the second, the energy falls off a cliff. The water sits at 70°, which is bang on average for this time of year.
Heading into the second week, things get really quiet. From Monday the 27th onwards, the combined energy is mostly below 400, and the swell size is 3 ft or less. Sunday the 26th morning shows a 5 ft SSE swell with a 10-second period and light 6 mph offshore winds, which is the best of a poor bunch, but it's still small. The rest of the time is small, weak, and often with moderate onshore or cross-shore breezes. For a spot like Burleigh, which needs a good SE to SSE swell to wrap in, the persistent southerly winds are a real party pooper. Honestly, the biggest pulse of swell is just a mess of wind.
All in all, this is a poor two-week outlook for a solid surf at Burleigh Heads. The only real standout is that tiny, glassy window on the 22nd. Otherwise, the setup looks more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle guys. The water temp holds steady at about average all through.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Sat afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Sat night, light winds from the SSE by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3727 | 4936 | 4443 | 4061 | 4107 | 3152 | 2222 | 1593 | 1042 | 690 | 539 | 407 | 343 | 230 | 161 | 137 | 290 | 1137 | 844 | 705 |
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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:01PM1.61m | 11:42AM1.22m | 11:41PM1.43m | 12:37PM1.22m | 00:22AM1.25m | 1:36PM1.22m | 1:09AM1.09m | 2:40PM1.23m | 2:09AM0.97m | 3:46PM1.26m | 3:25AM0.89m | 4:45PM1.32m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:35PM0.18m | 5:36AM0.10m | 5:26PM0.32m | 6:14AM0.15m | 6:22PM0.47m | 6:54AM0.21m | 7:29PM0.58m | 7:39AM0.27m | 8:54PM0.63m | 8:33AM0.32m | 10:24PM0.60m | 9:33AM0.35m | 11:34PM0.52m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  | | |  |  | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — |
mm | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | E 18 | E 11 | E 11 | S 17 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 1483 | 6 | 875 | 649 | 53 | 68 | 55 | 74 | 19 | 20 | 539 | 407 | 343 | 230 | 161 | 137 | 82 | 73 | 47 | 43 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 22 | E 18 | S 20 | S 19 | S 21 | — | — | — | S 16 | S 21 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | NE 9 | NE 9 |
| kJ | 38 | 6 | 67 | 61 | 9 | — | — | — | 5 | 9 | 32 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 19 | — | S 24 | S 23 | — | — | — | — | S 21 | S 21 | S 16 | SE 14 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 7 | — | 12 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 9 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | S 2 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | 3727 | 4936 | 4443 | 4061 | 4107 | 3152 | 2222 | 1593 | 1042 | 690 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 18 | 290 | 1137 | 844 | 705 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 772 | 656 | 656 | 560 | 331 | 149 | 149 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 331 | 11 | 11 |
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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