Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are shaping up to be a bit of a mixed bag for our stretch of coast. It’s not a complete write-off, but you’re gonna have to pick your moments, and there’s a fair gap early on where it’s not worth getting your feet wet.

We start off on Tuesday the 18th with a 7ft SE swell rolling in, but the wind is a messy cross-shore at 12 mph, and there’s rain showers around. The energy is moderate at 598, but honestly, the surface is going to be a chop-fest. Not a pretty sight. The afternoon cleans up a touch with a cross-offshore, but it’s still marginal and the tide is questionable. A surfer’s patience is tested here.

Wednesday the 19th sees the swell drop to 5ft but the period jumps up to 11 seconds, which is a bit of a groundswell. The morning has a clean cross-off breeze, and while only 5ft, there’s a bit of push. Still, it’s a marginal call. The energy is 739, the most we see for a while, which is promising, but the wave comment says it’s questionable. You could get a few, but it’s not the day to skip work for.

Thursday the 20th is a bit of a tease. Morning brings in a clean 4ft wave with some decent energy at 310, and the comment is “expect good surf conditions.” That’s the first real green light. The breeze is light and cross-off. It’s small, but it might be the best of a pretty ordinary bunch. The afternoon turns cross-onshore and bumpy with a 6ft ESE swell, so get on it early if you’re keen.

Then we hit the doldrums. From Friday the 21st, the swell just crumbles. We’re looking at sub-3ft waves, onshore winds, and a whole lot of nothing. The energy tanks into the 100s and even down to double digits. This stretch runs until the morning of Sunday the 30th. That’s over a week of flat, messy, or just plain unrideable conditions. There might be a morning of glassy 3ft on Sunday the 23rd, and a glassy 2ft on Wednesday the 26th, but with energy that low, you’d be struggling to catch a ripple. It’s a proper blank run. Don’t even bother checking the cam.

Finally, on Sunday the 30th, there’s a glimmer. The morning is glassy with a 5ft ENE swell and energy at 238. It’s still small and ordinary, but it’s the most life we’ve seen in a week. It’s surfable, but just barely. From the 31st onwards, the swell stays small and the wind starts to come from the south, setting up a cross-off at Burleigh Heads. But the size just isn’t there—mostly 2ft to 2ft. It stays that way through to Wednesday the 2nd of September. Clean, but tiny.

So, the standout? Honestly, nothing here is a real standout. If you’re desperate, Thursday the 20th morning is your best bet for the whole window. The energy is moderate at 310, the water is 68°, which is normal for this time of year, and it’s the only time we get a “good” call. But it’s small. Don’t expect barrels.

The other one to keep half an eye on is the 5ft, 11-second swell on Wednesday the 19th morning. The longer period gives it more shape and grunt, and with the clean cross-off wind, it could surprise. But the forecast score is low, so treat it as a promise, not a certainty. Given the long run of flatness, this is a spot where patience is a virtue. The forecasts can change, but as it stands, don’t hold your breath.

That’s the long and short of it. Keep the board waxed, but maybe leave it in the car for a bit.

Rusty.

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