Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the Gold Coast. Gotta be straight with you—this 16-day stretch is a bit of a frustrating one for us. We've got one clear standout window, and then a whole lot of flat, choppy, or blown-out junk to wade through.

The action gets started on Friday the 11th. That’s our go-to. Burleigh Heads is your spot, no question. We’re looking at a solid 8ft swell from the SE, with a period of 9 seconds. That's a nice, punchy groundswell. The wind is a gentle offshore from the SSW in the morning, which will have that famous Burleigh point running smooth as glass. The water temp is 69°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year. The energy is solid, sitting at 791 units, so there is plenty of push. This is a standout morning for the advanced crew—it’s consistent, it’s a point break setup, and with the offshore flow, it will be a classic Burleigh morning. Just be aware, this spot can get busy, and you'll likely be sharing it.

By Friday afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the SE and the quality drops right off. Saturday the 12th is a non-starter with cross-shore winds and a messy 5ft swell. Sunday the 13th is even worse. We then hit a real dry spell. From Monday the 14th right through to Wednesday the 16th morning, it’s tiny, weak, and mostly onshore. The energy levels drop way down into the double digits and low hundreds. It's a proper lull.

Now, late on Wednesday the 16th afternoon, things get interesting again, but this time it’s for experts only. A big, raw 10ft SSE swell rolls in, with energy spiking to a massive 1159 units. The problem is the wind is a clean cross-off from the SSE, but at 22 miles per hour. That's strong. This is heavy, powerful, blown-out swell. It's more of a novelty for the brave, but the raw energy is undeniable. It carries into Thursday the 17th with a 8ft swell from the SE, still with clean but strong cross-off winds.

After that, it all falls apart again. From Friday the 18th onwards, through to the end of the window on Saturday the 26th, the swell crashes out. The waves drop below 3ft, the period gets short and weak, and the wind is consistently cross-onshore or onshore. The energy levels drop to pathetic numbers, often below 100. It's a long, drawn-out period of flat and choppy conditions. Not worth paddling out for.

So there you have it. One killer morning at Burleigh Heads on Friday the 11th, then a couple of wild, expert-only windows in the middle of the month, followed by a whole lot of flatness. It’s one of those forecasts where you’ve got to pick your moment and be ready to pounce.

Rusty.

Read more