Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, ESE swell with 387 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with SE 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s 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 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here. Let's talk waves for Burleigh Heads over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a slow start, but there's a big one brewing if you've got the patience.
Right now, it's pretty flat. The first few days are small and messy. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing crazy.
We get a tiny little window on Friday the 21st of August. The morning has a tiny 3ft swell from the ESE, but the wind is glassy, dead calm. It's not going to be firing, but it's clean. The energy is weak (93). A few mornings after that, like Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th, also offer glassy conditions with a similar 3ft swell, but the energy is still low (128). It's surfable, but nothing to write home about.
The real story kicks off in the second week. The first week of September is where it gets interesting. On Tuesday the 1st of September, we start seeing a long-period groundswell (15 seconds) from the SSE building. The energy jumps to 716, which is moderate, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze, making it choppy. By Wednesday the 2nd of September, the swell is up to 6ft, and the energy is strong (1037). The wind is a light cross-shore, so it's a bit cleaner. This is getting good.
The day to circle is Thursday the 3rd of September. We're looking at a solid 10ft swell from the SSE with a nice 12-second period. That's a long-period groundswell for the point. The combined energy is a massive 2225, so there's a ton of power. The wind is a light cross-shore, which at Burleigh Heads (Gold Coast) is offshore. This is going to be a proper cleanup. The wave quality is looking excellent, but at 10ft, this is strictly for the experts. The crowd will be heavy, as it's a consistent spot that's fairly exposed, and with this swell, it'll be packed. The swell direction is from the SSE, right in the sweet spot for this point.
The rest of the period after that is looking a bit messy with strong onshore winds. The whole forecast is about that Thursday the 3rd of September. Keep your eyes peeled.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 244 | 345 | 308 | 154 | 59 | 57 | 82 | 91 | 117 | 99 | 113 | 88 | 81 | 58 | 92 | 131 | 119 | 116 | 161 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 6:08AM1.00m | 6:29PM1.56m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:50AM0.25m | 1:06AM0.22m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 244 | 345 | 308 | 154 | 59 | 57 | 82 | 91 | 117 | 99 | 113 | 88 | 81 | 58 | 92 | 131 | 119 | 116 | 161 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | ESE 12 | — | NE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | NE 9 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SSE 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | 15 | 13 | — | 59 | 44 | 37 | 22 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 23 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 12 | — | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 13 | E 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 8 | NE 10 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | NE 16 |
| kJ | 6 | 3 | — | 9 | 34 | 41 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | NNE 2 | N 3 |
| kJ | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 1 | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 17 | 194 | 0 | 0 | 499 | 49 |
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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