Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Burleigh Heads stretch over the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet, drawn-out period to start. The first real surf action doesn’t kick off until Thursday the 13th of August, and even then it’s modest. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is basically bang on normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Friday the 7th of August is a write-off – tiny, short-period swell with the wind on it, just not worth paddling out. That flat, ordinary pattern hangs around for days. The odd morning might look glassy, like Tuesday the 11th, but the swell is only 2 ft with a weak 9-second period, and barely any energy behind it (combined energy of 81). You’ll be bobbing around for nothing.

The first flicker of something decent comes on Thursday the 13th of August in the afternoon. Clean, glassy conditions with a 2 ft SSW swell, but it’s short-lived. The real standout is Friday the 14th of August morning. Burleigh Heads (Gold Coast) wakes up to a clean 5 ft south-southeast swell, with a 10-second period and a cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps to 417, which is moderate, and the waves should have a bit of shape. That’s your best window in the first week – a solid, clean session with enough push for the banks.

From there, the swell sticks around but the wind gets messy. Saturday the 15th of August morning has 5 ft from the SSE but with a stronger 20 km/h cross-off, still clean but a bit lumpy. The afternoon sees the wind howling at 30 km/h, so that’s game over. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th see a drop in period (6 to 7 seconds) and a lot of rain showers, so the quality tanks.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell builds again through Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of August, with 7 ft to 7 ft from the ESE and E, but the period is short (8 seconds) and the wind is cross-off or onshore. The combined energy numbers are strong (511 to 630), but the short period and wind chop will make it lumpy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session, honestly. The waves are too crumbly for most.

The 20th of August still has some energy but the swell drops to 4 ft, and by the 21st and 22nd, it’s all cross-shore chop and sub-5 ft slop. Not much to write home about.

So, if you’re chasing a paddle, you’ve got one real standout: Friday the 14th of August morning. The rest is either flat, blown out, or too short-period to be fun. It’s a long, quiet stretch for Burleigh, but that one morning should redeem it.

- Rusty

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