Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 11s period, ESE swell with 957 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s is also forecast. 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 2.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 0.5m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, and I'm looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks. We've got a bit of a mixed bag on the horizon. The water temp is sitting right around 68°F, which is just about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The next few days are looking pretty grim. We've got a solid southerly wind blowing through on Saturday, making a mess of things. It's not until Wednesday, August 19th that we start to see some real potential. The morning is showing a clean 6ft swell from the SSE with a solid 11-second period, and a gentle SSE breeze keeping it glassy. The energy is building nicely too, hitting a moderate 776 (combined energy of all swells directed here). This is the standout window for the near term, and for the advanced crew on the point, it's going to be worth the wait.
The rest of the first week and into the second is a bit of a write-off. There's a small window on Thursday, August 20th morning with a clean 5ft swell, but it's nothing to write home about. After that, it's a long stretch of small, weak, or just messy conditions. The energy drops right off, with some days barely registering any push at all.
Monday, August 24th and Tuesday, August 25th are flat, with tiny 2ft to 2ft waves and hardly any energy behind them. The following week is more of the same – small, weak, and not really worth suiting up for. The only glimmer in the second week is way out on Saturday, August 29th morning. The charts are hinting at a long-period groundswell from the SE, with a 16-second period. The energy is up at 601 (combined energy of all swells directed here), but the swell height is only 2ft. That's a weird combo – all that energy but no real size. It's a long-range call, so take it with a grain of salt, but it could be a sneaky one for the reefs if it fills in.
Sunday, August 30th shows a jump in size to 6ft from the SSE, but again, it's a long way out and the forecast is shaky. The energy is massive at 1320 (combined energy of all swells directed here), but for a point break with that much power, it could be a handful. Keep an eye on it, but don't rearrange your life just yet.
In short, if you're looking for a paddle, Wednesday morning, August 19th is your best bet. After that, it's a waiting game for the second week, which looks promising but uncertain.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 225 | 200 | 328 | 379 | 270 | 398 | 521 | 530 | 530 | 477 | 543 | 528 | 671 | 496 | 219 | 277 | 266 | 255 | 170 | 202 | 173 |
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 | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:46PM1.65m | 10:16AM1.36m | 10:21PM1.48m | 11:00AM1.34m | 10:57PM1.30m | 11:47AM1.30m | 11:34PM1.13m | 12:41PM1.25m | 00:21AM0.99m | 1:48PM1.21m | 1:30AM0.88m | 3:04PM1.21m | 3:06AM0.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:26PM0.07m | 4:10AM0.04m | 4:10PM0.20m | 4:43AM0.10m | 4:56PM0.33m | 5:16AM0.17m | 5:47PM0.46m | 5:53AM0.26m | 6:51PM0.57m | 6:38AM0.35m | 8:20PM0.62m | 7:39AM0.42m | 10:02PM0.59m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | | |
 | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | — | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SE 18 | S 18 | SE 14 | SE 11 | ESE 14 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | SE 11 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 29 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 80 | 20 | 149 | 96 | 496 | 219 | 277 | 266 | 255 | 170 | 202 | 173 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | SE 20 | SE 18 | SE 19 | SE 19 | E 14 | — | E 13 | S 10 | SE 14 | ESE 12 | S 11 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 4 | — | 3 | 33 | 48 | 129 | 9 | 108 | 105 | 73 | 61 | 69 | 101 | 23 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | E 16 | S 20 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 9 | — | — | — | S 11 | S 10 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | S 15 | SE 9 | E 12 | NE 10 |
| kJ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | 3 | 15 | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 16 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 |
| kJ | 225 | 200 | 328 | 379 | 270 | 398 | 521 | 530 | 530 | 477 | 543 | 528 | 671 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 12 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 51 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 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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