
Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 407 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period with E 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 08) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. 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 1.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Burleigh Heads. There’s some clean swell on the horizon, but we’ve got to wade through a fair bit of average to get to it. We’re starting with a dry spell, so don’t bother paddling out just yet.
The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t show until Friday morning, the 14th of August. That’s a solid week of waiting. Before that, from Saturday the 8th through to Thursday the 13th, it’s mostly small, weak, and messy. You’ll see tiny waves around 2ft to 3ft, but the wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-on, and just generally poor conditions. The energy is low (combined energy in the 60s to low 200s), so it’s not worth your time.
Now, Friday the 14th of August is our standout. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got. The morning session at Burleigh Heads is where you want to be. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell rolling in from the SSE, with a 9-second period. The wind is a light SSE cross-off at 6 mph, keeping the surface glassy. The combined energy is a solid 499 (moderate), so there’s some push. The water temp is 69° – about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. This is the best wave of the outlook, but be aware that Burleigh can get busy – crowds are listed as “often,” so expect company.
After that, things drop off again. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th see smaller swell (3ft) and stronger SE winds, making it choppy. The energy falls back to the low 200s. Not great.
Then we get a little pulse around Monday the 17th through to Wednesday the 19th of August. The swell picks up to 4ft to 5ft from the E, with clean cross-off winds from the SSE at 12-16 mph. The combined energy climbs into the 200s to nearly 400. This is solid, but the period is short (6 to 8 seconds), meaning it’ll be a bit soft and crumbly. It’s rideable but not firing. Still, for the more experienced crew, those early morning windows on the 17th and 18th are worth a look.
The rest of the period, from the 20th to the 23rd of August, is just small, clean, and weak. Swells around 3ft to 4ft, all with cross-off winds, but the energy is low (under 250). It’s more of a longboard or funboard affair.
So, to sum it up: if you’ve got one session to chase, make it the Friday morning of the 14th of August at Burleigh Heads. The rest is either waiting, or small and average. Keep your eye on the longer-range pulse around the 18th, but don’t hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | N 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
73 | 173 | 229 | 185 | 146 | 119 | 185 | 119 | 94 | 76 | 78 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 63 | 61 | 43 | 235 | 333 | 348 | 185 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:13PM1.52m | 4:32AM0.94m | 5:18PM1.66m | 5:39AM0.99m | 6:14PM1.80m | 6:34AM1.07m | 7:04PM1.89m | 7:22AM1.16m | 7:49PM1.92m | 8:07AM1.24m | 8:30PM1.89m | 8:50AM1.31m | 9:09PM1.79m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:11PM0.34m | 10:21AM0.21m | 00:13AM0.22m | 11:25AM0.12m | 1:04AM0.11m | 12:20PM0.02m | 1:47AM0.04m | 1:10PM-0.04m | 2:26AM-0.00m | 1:57PM-0.06m | 3:03AM-0.01m | 2:42PM-0.02m | 3:37AM0.00m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 |
73 | 173 | 229 | 185 | 146 | 119 | 119 | 153 | 60 | 76 | 78 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 63 | 61 | 43 | 235 | 333 | 348 | 185 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NE 12 | N 6 | NNE 6 | S 10 | NNE 5 | S 9 | S 8 | E 9 | SSE 13 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
47 | 44 | 28 | 38 | 32 | 16 | 4 | 119 | 94 | 29 | 5 | 29 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 6 | 20 | 43 | 120 | 31 | 29 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | E 16 | NE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | E 13 | E 13 | S 10 | N 6 | NE 12 | S 8 | S 9 | NE 11 | S 9 | NE 7 | N 7 | NNE 7 | E 10 | NE 7 | NE 7 |
25 | 5 | 26 | 26 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 5 | 46 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | SSE 3 | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 5 | N 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 3 | NNE 6 | NNW 6 | NW 3 | N 5 | WNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNE 7 | SE 4 | — | — | — |
4 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 83 | 185 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 29 | 46 | 3 | 39 | 27 | 10 | 18 | 16 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 163 | 147 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 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.











