Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Burleigh Heads.

Mate, it’s a bit of a slow start for the next week or so. We’ve got a few days of pretty ordinary surf to get through before we see any real life in the water. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

We kick off on Saturday, August 1st, with a morning south swell of 5ft, but it’s a short-period 6 seconds and the wind is a cross-off from the south at 12 mph. The combined energy is a weak 219, and it’s just poor surf, not worth your time. The afternoon sees a slightly better SSE swell at 5ft with a 9-second period, but the energy bumps up to 415 and it’s still marginal.

Sunday, August 2nd, we get a bit more organised. Morning brings a 5ft SSE swell, 9-second period, and the combined energy is 466. Wind is a light cross-off from the SSE at 9 mph, and the conditions are clean. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about – just a 2 out of 10. The afternoon drops off a touch with a 4ft cross-shore SE swell.

Monday, August 3rd, is the pick of this first week. Morning glass-off conditions with a 4ft SSE swell at 10 seconds, the combined energy jumps to 524, and it’s clean and glassy. This is a solid, fun-size wave for a point break, with the swell direction matching the optimum SSE perfectly. It’s about as good as it gets in this first stretch, but still not a standout.

After that, it drops right off. From Tuesday, August 4th, through to Wednesday, August 12th, the swell dips below 3ft, the energy stays under 250, and the wave comments are all “poor” or “ordinary.” That’s a solid nine-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for. The only exception is a tiny 2ft E swell on Wednesday, August 12th, with glassy conditions, but it’s just not enough.

Now, hold onto your board, because Thursday, August 13th, is the real surprise. The morning brings a solid 7ft SSE swell, 8-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 631. The wind is glassy from the southeast, and the break is fairly exposed to this direction. Look, 7ft at Burleigh is a good size, but it’s a short-period swell, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and won’t have that long, clean lines of a groundswell. Still, it’s the biggest and best-looking day in the whole forecast. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 8ft, with a 9-second period and energy hitting 802, but the wind turns cross-shore, so it’s a bit messier. The morning is the go.

Then Friday, August 14th, stays clean with a strong cross-off southerly wind of 16 mph, but the swell drops to 5ft and the energy is 343. It’s marginal, but the wind will keep it clean.

The final weekend, Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th, is a mixed bag. Saturday is a write-off, but Sunday, August 16th, throws up a big 8ft SSE swell with a massive energy of 1157. That’s a very strong wave, but it’s a short 8-second period, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the southeast. For a point break, that’s going to be a chaotic, close-out mess. This one is for experts only, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The afternoon is similar at 8ft.

So, the standout of the whole 16 days? No question – it’s the morning of Thursday, August 13th. The glassy conditions, the solid 7ft SSE swell, and the high energy make it the best on offer. The second best is the Monday, August 3rd morning session, which is smaller but perfectly clean. Everything else in the first week and a half is a flat spell or just ordinary.

Rusty

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