
Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, SSE swell with 591 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period with SSE 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 01) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. 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 1.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
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 few days are a bit of a write-off for Burleigh Heads. The surf is small, jumbled, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-off, which is okay but not doing us any favours. We’ve got a couple of promising windows further out, but you’ll need patience.
The first real chance doesn’t come until Sunday, August 3rd. Monday morning, August 4th, is the standout. It’s a gem. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 10 seconds, giving it some decent shape. The wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm. That’s rare, and it’ll be clean as a whistle. The combined energy is moderate (536). The water temp is 69°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Burleigh Heads is a point break, so it handles that SSE swell direction well, and it’s a consistent wave. Expect crowds, though – it’s Burleigh.
After that, it goes quiet again until Friday, August 8th. Friday morning brings a clean 4ft SSE swell, period 10 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze. Combined energy is moderate (322). It’s surfable and clean, but not the standout.
Then there’s a big gap. The next decent window is Tuesday, August 12th, morning. We’ve got a 5ft SSE swell, but the period is short – only 8 seconds – so it’ll be a bit bumpy and less powerful. Wind is cross-off from the WNW, so it’ll be clean. Combined energy is moderate (450). It’s okay for the more experienced crew, but nothing special.
The real long-range promise is Wednesday, August 13th and Thursday, August 14th mornings. On Wednesday, we’ve got a 4ft swell from the east with a long 11-second period – that’s proper groundswell. Wind is cross-off from the WNW, leaving it glassy. Combined energy is moderate (570). On Thursday, it’s a 3ft east swell, also 11 seconds, with a light cross-off from the WSW. Combined energy is moderate (375). Both are clean, but that longer period means the sets will be more spaced out, so take your time between waves. These are promising, but it’s a week and a half out, so don’t lock it in just yet.
One more to note: Saturday, August 16th, morning. A 4ft SSE swell, period 8 seconds, with a clean offshore wind from the SW. Combined energy is moderate (554). It’s a quick, short-period swell, but with offshore winds, it’ll be lined up nicely for the point. Could be a fun session.
Overall, the best of the best is Monday, August 4th. Get on it if you can. The rest is a waiting game with a few flickers of hope. Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | E 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 8 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ENE 7 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
251 | 22 | 360 | 225 | 293 | 591 | 537 | 292 | 325 | 302 | 424 | 203 | 92 | 63 | 45 | 50 | 74 | 46 | 61 | 65 | 57 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 9:11PM1.72m | 9:32AM1.16m | 9:43PM1.68m | 10:09AM1.19m | 10:16PM1.60m | 10:51AM1.22m | 10:53PM1.48m | 11:38AM1.25m | 11:37PM1.34m | 12:33PM1.27m | 00:31AM1.18m | 1:41PM1.32m | 1:41AM1.03m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:39PM0.12m | 3:47AM0.09m | 3:15PM0.15m | 4:18AM0.09m | 3:54PM0.20m | 4:51AM0.10m | 4:38PM0.27m | 5:26AM0.14m | 5:30PM0.36m | 6:06AM0.18m | 6:37PM0.44m | 6:54AM0.23m | 8:05PM0.48m | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 12 | ENE 8 | SE 16 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | NE 7 | NE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | S 10 | S 9 |
48 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 121 | 292 | 325 | 302 | 424 | 203 | 92 | 47 | 54 | 32 | 56 | 46 | 32 | 65 | 57 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | E 9 | E 12 | ESE 12 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 |
17 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 49 | 68 | 50 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 63 | 45 | 32 | 74 | 40 | 31 | 29 | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | E 18 | E 17 | E 17 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 12 | E 15 | ESE 12 | ESE 8 | NNE 9 | SSE 9 | E 10 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 10 | ESE 8 | NE 6 |
3 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 176 | 264 | 184 | 4 | 28 | 43 | 7 | 16 | 50 | 9 | 17 | 33 | 20 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 6 | NW 3 | — | — | — | S 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 4 |
251 | 188 | 360 | 225 | 293 | 591 | 537 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 1 | — | — | — | 61 | 7 | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 149 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 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.











