Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real window of surf that’s worth paddling out for kicks off on Wednesday afternoon, the 12th of August. It’s not going to blow your mind, but it’s something. We’re looking at a tiny 2.3ft east swell, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is weak, sitting at 158. The water temp is 68.5°, which is pretty much average for this time of year. The wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm, so the surface will be like a mirror. That’s the big positive here – clean, glassy conditions. The waves are surfable, just small and ordinary.

We roll into Thursday morning, the 13th, and it’s more of the same: 2.0ft east swell, 9-second period, and glassy conditions again. The energy is even weaker at 121. Still surfable, but you’ll be working for it. That afternoon, the wind picks up from the southeast, turning into a cross-shore breeze, and the swell jumps to 3.3ft from the south with a short 8-second period. It gets messy with a cross-chop, so I’d call that a washout.

Friday the 14th morning sees a bit more size, with a 4.9ft swell from the SSE and an 8-second period. The wind is a clean cross-offshore, but the combined energy climbs to 283 – moderate. It’s graded as marginal, probably due to the tide. The afternoon though, the wind cranks up to 15 mph from the southeast, making it cross-shore and bumpy, with 5.6ft of messy swell. That’s a no-go.

Saturday the 15th morning keeps the 15 mph southerly wind, but it’s cross-offshore, so the surface is clean. The swell drops to 4.3ft from the SSE with a really short 7-second period. The energy is moderate at 220. It’s still poor conditions though. The afternoon brings a sharp drop to 1.3ft with rain showers. Not worth it.

Sunday the 16th has a bit of a pulse. Morning sees 5.9ft from the SSE, 7-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore at 15 mph. Energy is moderate at 346. It’s a marginal call, likely a tide issue. Afternoon holds 5.6ft with the same wind. Still marginal.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Monday the 17th brings a solid jump in size. Morning has 8.2ft from the southeast, with an 8-second period. The wind is a strong 18 mph cross-shore, and the energy buzzes up to 727 – strong. The conditions are poor due to the lumpy chop. That afternoon, the wind turns cross-offshore, and the swell holds at 8.2ft. The energy jumps to 921. The waves are still marginal, but it’s cleaner. This is getting big, over 8.2ft, so it’s expert territory only. The short period means it’ll be a bit walled-up and hard to manage at a point break like Burleigh.

Tuesday the 18th stays big, with 6.9ft to 7.5ft from the ESE, 8-second period, but the wind is a cross-shore mess at 12 mph. The energy is strong at 579–646. Just ugly.

Wednesday the 19th is the standout. The morning offers 7.2ft from the ESE, 8-second period, with a clean cross-offshore wind at 12 mph. The energy hits 1145 – very strong. The afternoon is similar, with 6.6ft and slightly lighter wind. The conditions are clean, and the size is right up there. This is the best on offer for the whole 16-day window. The swell direction is SSE, which is the optimum direction for Burleigh Heads, so it’ll wrap in nicely. It’s a consistent, advanced point break, and the crowds are often there. The combined energy is massive, so expect powerful, punchy waves. At this size, it’s for experts only, no beginners. The period is a bit short at 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit faster and more critical than a longer-period groundswell.

Thursday the 20th morning drops back to 4.6ft from the SE, 8-second period, with lighter cross-offshore winds. The energy is 438 – moderate. This one gets a “good surf conditions” note, so it’s a solid option for a smaller, more manageable session. The afternoon turns cross-shore and gets bumpy again.

Friday the 21st sees 6.2ft from the east,

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