Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on offer for Burleigh Heads over the next couple of weeks. It’s a slow burn, with a real dry spell early on. The first week is mostly dead, and you’ll be waiting until around Thursday the 20th of August before anything worth talking about shows up. There’s a big gap of poor to non-existent surf through the opening days.

From Sunday the 9th right through to Sunday the 16th, it’s pretty grim. Swells are small, winds are messy, and nothing has any real punch. Monday the 10th sees a 6ft north swell, but with a 6-second period and a fresh cross-onshore breeze, it’s just lumpy junk. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are clean but tiny, with 2ft east swells and combined energy barely hitting the 80s – not enough to bother with. Thursday the 13th morning is similar, 2ft and clean, but weak. Friday the 14th morning shows a cleaner 6ft from the SSE with a 9-second period and moderate energy (559), but it’s still only marginal. The afternoons get chopped up. So yeah, nothing to get excited about.

Into the second week, Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th bring moderate swells around 6ft to 8ft, but cross-shore winds and rain showers keep it lumpy. More of a kite session than a paddle.

Things finally kick off on Thursday the 20th of August. Morning brings a solid 8ft east swell with a 10-second period and strong combined energy of 1398. Winds are cross-off from the south at 12 mph, keeping the surface clean. This is expert territory – over 8ft and powerful. Water temperature sits around 69°, which is just about normal for the time of year, only half a degree cooler than average. This is a standout for experienced surfers only.

But the real gem is Friday the 21st of August. Early morning, the wind goes dead calm – glassy as it gets. Swell holds at 8ft from the east, 10-second period, and combined energy still strong at 1034. Expect very good surf conditions. Burleigh Heads is a consistent point break, exposed to the swell, and it does get crowded often, but for a morning like that, it’s well worth it. The optimum swell direction is SSE, and we’re getting east, so not a perfect match, but with glass and that much energy, the waves will be clean and lined up.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd keep the run going – clean mornings with cross-off winds, east swells around 7ft to 8ft, and periods stretching to 11 seconds on Saturday, giving it a real groundswell feel. That longer period means better shaped waves and longer lulls, making the paddle out easier. Again, these are for experienced surfers.

So in short – the first week is a bust. But hold out for the final days. Friday the 21st of August morning is your best bet: glassy, solid 8ft east swell, clean as a whistle. That’s the one.

Rusty.

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