Burleigh Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.09° S 153.46° E

Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Burleigh Heads sea temperature is
20.9° C
0.2° 

Burleigh Heads surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 6,286 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period with ESE 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 5.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Tue 21st Jul)7ft (2.1m) 10s
Best Surf10PM (Tue 21st Jul)7ft (2.1m) 10s
Most Powerful 1AM (Sun 19th Jul)18ft (5.5m) 11s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let's have a look at what's heading our way.

Rusty here. Look, the next couple of days are a write-off. We've got a bit of a wait on our hands. The surf is virtually non-existent through Wednesday the 15th and Thursday morning the 16th – just tiny, weak slop. But don't tune out, because the backend of this run is where the real story is.

The big news is the weekend of the 18th and 19th. The models are showing a serious pulse of energy. A big, powerful SSE swell is going to push through, and it's going to be a wild one. Wave heights are going to be well over the 8 ft mark, so this is expert territory only. We're talking about wave energy values in the thousands (2252 to 4898) – that's a lot of water moving around. The problem is, the wind is going to be howling out of the S and SSE at 19 to 25 mph, which is a cross-off wind at Burleigh Heads (Gold Coast). That's actually a decent wind direction for this spot, keeping things clean, but the sheer size and strength of the wind will make it incredibly challenging. The swell period is a moderate 8-10 seconds, so it's a wind swell, not a long-period groundswell. This is a heavy, powerful, and dangerous setup. Honestly, for a paddle surfer, it's a beast for the brave. For a kite surfer, this looks absolutely epic.

After that peak, the swell eases but stays solid through the 20th and 21st, still in the 8 ft to 13 ft range. The wind eases as well, making it a bit more manageable, but still a hardcore session.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is the morning of Thursday the 23rd of July. The swell drops to a more manageable 8 ft, still from the SSE, but the period jumps to a very long 12 seconds. That's a proper groundswell. But the kicker is the wind. The forecast is calling for a glassy, SSE wind at just 3 mph. That’s flat calm. For a world-class point break like Burleigh, that's as good as it gets. The wave energy will still be high (1812), but with that long period and glassy conditions, the waves will be lined up, powerful, and clean. This is the one. Expect crowds because it's a consistent spot, and for good reason.

The following week, from the 25th onwards, the size drops back down to around 5 ft to 6 ft. It's a bit of a mixed bag with the wind, but the morning of Monday, July 27th looks nice with another glassy morning and a 6 ft swell from the SSE. It's a short period (7 seconds), so it'll be a bit softer, but clean and fun for a grovel. After that, it fizzles out to small, weak conditions through the end of the month.

The water temperature at Burleigh Heads is sitting at 70°F, which is bang on average for this time of year. No surprises there.

So, to sum it up: get through the next few days of flatness, the big weekend is for the experts and the kite crew, but Thursday the 23rd is the absolute standout for the rest of us. Mark it down.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Wed morning, fresh winds from the S by Thu morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sat night, light winds from the SE by Mon night).

Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
ESE
9
0.2
E
9
3
S
8
3
SSE
8
3.5
SSE
8
3
SSE
8
2.5
SSE
8
3
SSE
8
3
SSE
8
4
SSE
9
4.5
SE
10
5.5
SE
11
4.5
SE
10
4.5
SE
10
4.5
SE
10
4
SE
10
3.5
ESE
10
3
ESE
11
2.5
ESE
10
2.3
ESE
10
2.2
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
9
7
1041
1091
1510
1141
768
923
1261
2252
3617
6286
4189
4235
3872
3172
2546
2083
1255
999
878
Wind (km/h)
15
S
30
S
25
S
30
S
25
S
30
SSE
30
SSE
30
SSE
25
S
30
S
40
S
40
SSE
40
SSE
35
SSE
35
SSE
30
SSE
30
SSE
20
SSE
20
SSE
20
SSE
15
S
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
8:54PM1.98m
9:14AM1.16m
9:39PM1.90m
10:02AM1.19m
10:21PM1.78m
10:51AM1.21m
11:01PM1.61m
11:42AM1.22m
11:41PM1.43m
12:37PM1.22m
00:22AM1.25m
1:36PM1.22m
1:09AM1.09m
Low Tide
2:10PM-0.06m
3:37AM0.00m
2:58PM-0.03m
4:18AM0.02m
3:47PM0.05m
4:58AM0.05m
4:35PM0.18m
5:36AM0.10m
5:26PM0.32m
6:14AM0.15m
6:22PM0.47m
6:54AM0.21m
7:29PM0.58m
clear
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
heavy rain
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
mod rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:07
5:07
5:07
5:07
5:08
5:08
5:09
 mm
1
3
13
9
4
4
1
6
6
4
1
1
Temp °C
17
16
14
16
17
16
17
17
17
19
18
18
18
18
18
19
19
18
19
19
17
Feels °C
11
10
9
10
12
11
12
12
12
13
11
12
12
12
12
14
14
14
14
15
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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