
Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, E swell with 288 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s 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 1.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for Burleigh Heads.
Alright, mate, it's a bit of a slow start. The first few days are pretty ordinary for Burleigh. We've got a bit of swell around, but the conditions are just not playing ball for a proper surf. The water temp is sitting at about 68°, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.
The first real hint of something happening is on Friday morning, the 7th of August. We're looking at a tiny 3 ft swell from the ENE with a period of 7 seconds. The energy is weak at 110, but the wind is glassy, and it's clean. It's surfable, but you won't be writing home about it. The morning of Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th look a bit better with clean, cross-off winds and a 3 ft to 3 ft east swell, but the energy is still nothing special.
Now, hold onto your board shorts, because things get interesting from Thursday the 13th. A proper south swell starts to show up. The morning of the 13th has a 6 ft swell from the S, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy jumps right up to 1036, which is a solid pulse. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it could be a bit lumpy but with that much push, it's got potential. It's a bit of a gamble with the tide, but it's the best we've seen.
Then Friday the 14th is the standout. The morning brings a 10 ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is massive at 1877. This is a big, powerful groundswell. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it's not going to be perfect, but for a point break like Burleigh, that long-period south swell is going to set up some proper, grinding walls. This is expert territory though, 10 ft is no joke for the average punter. The afternoon gets a bit breezy, but the morning session is the one to aim for.
The weekend of the 15th and 16th holds onto some size, with 8 ft and 8 ft swells, but the wind swings more onshore and gets a bit stronger, making it messier. It's still a solid swell, but the quality drops off. The following week looks like it stays in the 7 ft to 8 ft range, with clean cross-off winds from the south, but the period drops. It's going to be a messy, wind-affected couple of weeks for the most part, but that window around the 13th and 14th is the real deal.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 11 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
62 | 130 | 154 | 96 | 57 | 38 | 40 | 43 | 57 | 68 | 89 | 73 | 81 | 201 | 280 | 282 | 198 | 164 | 169 | 133 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 11:37PM1.34m | 12:33PM1.27m | 00:31AM1.18m | 1:41PM1.32m | 1:41AM1.03m | 2:57PM1.40m | 3:08AM0.94m | 4:13PM1.52m | 4:32AM0.94m | 5:18PM1.66m | 5:39AM0.99m | 6:14PM1.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:30PM0.36m | 6:06AM0.18m | 6:37PM0.44m | 6:54AM0.23m | 8:05PM0.48m | 7:56AM0.27m | 9:46PM0.45m | 9:08AM0.26m | 11:11PM0.34m | 10:21AM0.21m | 00:13AM0.22m | 11:25AM0.12m | 1:04AM0.11m | |||||||
— | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | ESE 11 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
62 | 130 | 154 | 96 | 57 | 46 | 40 | 43 | 57 | 68 | 89 | 73 | 81 | 201 | 280 | 282 | 198 | 164 | 169 | 133 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | NE 7 | SSE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | E 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | S 8 | NE 6 | NE 8 | NNE 7 |
24 | 29 | 6 | 42 | 28 | 38 | 32 | 25 | 33 | 47 | 48 | 46 | 38 | 29 | 46 | 34 | 12 | 44 | 9 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | SSE 8 | NE 9 | SE 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 9 | E 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 |
13 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 28 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 3 | NNW 3 | NE 4 | — | SE 2 | S 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | S 4 | SSE 5 | S 5 | — | — | NNE 4 | NW 4 | N 4 | W 3 |
— | — | 1 | 1 | 15 | — | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 63 | 17 | — | — | 40 | 28 | 38 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 64 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 147 | 49 | 14 | 0 | 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.











