Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SSE swell with 482 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with SSE 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 1.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's break down the options we’ve got. This is Rusty, and the story here is pretty clear – we’ve got a long gap before any real surf is on the cards.
For the rest of this week and into the weekend, it’s mostly flat and messy. There’s a pulse on Saturday the 30th with a 6ft SSE swell, but it’s coming in with a short 7-second period and a cross-off wind that’ll make it lumpy. Not the goods. Then from Monday the 31st all the way through to Tuesday the 8th of September, it’s a run of small, weak swell with poor winds. The combined wave energy is often well under 100 (93, 59, 33), so the ocean is basically taking a nap. That’s about an eight or nine-day stretch of nothing worth paddling for.
The light at the end of the tunnel? Burleigh Heads on Tuesday the 8th of September. That morning you’ve got a 4ft SSE groundswell, with a 10-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the west to southwest, keeping the waves clean. The combined energy hits the 400s (476 by the afternoon), so there’s real push behind it. Water temp is about average for this time of year at 69°F. It’s a consistent point break, so it will handle the swell well, but expect a crowd – it’s often busy there for good reason.
The next morning, Wednesday the 9th of September, is also interesting. Same size swell, but the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds. That’s powerful, deep ocean energy, and the combined energy is up around 525. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the north, which isn’t perfect, but for a point break like Burleigh, that long period can still produce some nice, grinding lines. Just be aware that long period surf can sometimes close out at beach breaks, but on a point, it should be fine.
So the verdict: don’t bother this week. Let the ocean rest. That Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th of September are your only real shots at decent, clean surf. Everything else is a pass.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 10 | SSE 10 | E 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 6 | E 9 | SSE 18 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | N 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 318 | 386 | 35 | 346 | 454 | 155 | 23 | 31 | 157 | 98 | 96 | 68 | 70 | 68 | 48 | 45 | 45 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 77 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:39PM1.68m | 9:01AM1.35m | 9:12PM1.60m | 9:39AM1.40m | 9:48PM1.49m | 10:21AM1.42m | 10:29PM1.34m | 11:09AM1.41m | 11:16PM1.17m | 12:08PM1.40m | 00:17AM1.01m | 1:22PM1.39m | 1:41AM0.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:19PM0.07m | 3:05AM0.03m | 2:58PM0.10m | 3:35AM0.05m | 3:40PM0.15m | 4:07AM0.08m | 4:28PM0.23m | 4:43AM0.14m | 5:25PM0.33m | 5:25AM0.22m | 6:39PM0.42m | 6:20AM0.29m | 8:17PM0.45m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 27 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 52 | 54 | 35 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 98 | 96 | 68 | 70 | 68 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 28 | 21 | 15 | 31 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 15 | NE 13 | SE 19 | SSE 18 | E 11 | E 10 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 31 | 36 | 73 | 65 | 65 | 67 | 50 | 48 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | — | NE 6 | NE 15 | NE 12 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 12 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | ESE 6 | NNE 11 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 5 |
| kJ | 4 | — | 2 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 32 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | — | — | NNE 3 | NW 3 | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | — | — | N 6 |
| kJ | 318 | 386 | 155 | 346 | 454 | 155 | 136 | 153 | 157 | — | — | 6 | 5 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 27 | — | — | 77 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 12 | 177 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 194 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 0 | 26 | 271 | 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.
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