Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s cooking for Burleigh Heads.

We’ve got a bit of a wild start to the outlook, with some serious size and energy on the way, but the wind is the real story here—and it’s not a good one for clean surfing. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The action kicks off Friday the 17th of July with a solid 10ft swell from the SSE, packing a punch at 1053 combined energy. That’s proper moderate to strong energy, but the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off from the SSE, which keeps things messy. This is advanced territory at 10ft, and with the period only 8 seconds, it’s a short-period wind swell, not the kind that’s easy to line up. The conditions are clean in the sense of no chop, but the size and wind won’t be forgiving.

Saturday the 18th of July sees the swell bump up to 12ft in the morning and then 15ft in the afternoon, with combined energy jumping to 1830 and 3740—that’s strong to very strong energy. The wind stays cross-off from the S and SSW at 19 mph, still fresh. The period improves to 10 seconds in the afternoon, which is a bit better, but at 15ft, this is strictly for experts. Honestly, with that much wind and size, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday the 19th of July holds 13ft swell from the SE and SSE, with 22 mph winds and combined energy around 2575 to 2867. Still big, still windy, still for experts only. The period drops back to 9 seconds, so it’s a lumpy, short-interval mess.

Monday the 20th of July we finally see a drop to 12ft and then 10ft, but the wind swings cross-shore from the SE at 19 mph in the morning, giving us lumpy cross-chop. The afternoon clears up to cross-off at 16 mph, but it’s still a moderate breeze and the swell is 10ft with a 10-second period. The energy is still strong at 1852, but it’s not clean enough to get excited about.

Tuesday the 21st of July is a better prospect. The swell drops to 7ft in the morning, then 7ft in the afternoon, from the E and ESE. Combined energy is moderate at 969 and 812. The wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 12 mph, with a moderate breeze. The period is 10 seconds, so there’s decent shape. This is the first day that looks surfable for experienced surfers, and the clean conditions make it the best of the first week. Crowds are likely at Burleigh Heads, but with the drop in size, it’s a solid option.

Wednesday the 22nd of July the swell drops further to 5ft, with a 9-second period, but the wind goes cross-shore in the morning and cross-on in the afternoon, both light—so you’re dealing with small wind ripples. The combined energy is weak at 411 and 399. It’s a pass.

From Thursday the 23rd of July right through to the end of the month, we’ve got a long gap of tiny surf. Thursday the 23rd has 4ft with a glassy morning, but the energy is a paltry 239. Friday the 24th has 3ft, and from Saturday the 25th onward, we’re mostly looking at 1.0ft to 3ft, with combined energy rarely cracking 100. It’s a classic winter lull for Burleigh Heads. A few glassy mornings (like the 26th and 28th) give you a chance at a small wave, but it’s really ordinary.

The one bright spot at the very end is Saturday the 1st of August. The morning is glassy but only 1.0ft, then in the afternoon a 7ft south swell pops up with a 6-second period and 322 energy. The wind is light cross-on. That’s a short-period spike, and with the wind angle, it’s not going to be clean. Still, it’s the only pulse of size in the second week.

Bottom line: the standout is Tuesday the 21st of July for experienced surfers, with 7ft to 7ft and clean cross-off winds. The big swell from the 17th to 19th is for experts only, and the long gap from the 23rd to the 31st is a real blank run. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a tough stretch.

Rusty.

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