
Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, SE swell with 433 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period with SE 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Burleigh Heads in the next 16 days are 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Burleigh Heads. The forecast starts with a tidy little window on Monday the 3rd of August, but after that, it gets real quiet for a stretch. The real standout is shaping up for the second week, but we’ll get to that.
Monday morning kicks things off with some clean, glassy conditions. We’ve got a 4ft swell coming from the SSE with a 10-second period, which is a nice, solid groundswell for the points. The water’s sitting at 69°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The wind is glassy out of the SE at just 3 mph, so it’s going to be real smooth out there. The combined energy is moderate (536), so there’s some push behind it. This is your best bet for the first week. Burleigh Heads is a consistent point break, and with the swell direction matching the optimum from the SSE, it’s going to be lining up nicely. You’ll want to be on it early, as it often gets crowded, but for a Monday morning, you might sneak a few.
Monday afternoon sees the wind swing onshore, and the quality drops right off. The next few days are a write-off. Tuesday through Thursday all have poor surf, with small, weak energy and poor wind. The swell drops to under 3ft, and the combined energy is barely there (140, 100, 203, 95). You’re not going to want to paddle out.
Friday morning the 7th offers a little hope with clean 4ft swell from the east, but it’s a short-period windswell at 8 seconds, and the energy is still low (204). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Saturday the 8th pushes up to 5ft, but the period drops to 7 seconds, making it a bit junky and onshore in the afternoon. Not a classic.
Then there’s a real gap. From Saturday afternoon through to the middle of the second week, most of the surf is poor or ordinary. The wind is messy, the swell is small. There’s a glassy morning on Sunday the 9th with 4ft, but the energy is still only moderate (251), and it’s not a standout.
Now, the real highlight is Saturday the 15th of August. On Saturday morning, we’ve got a 7ft swell from the SSE, with a 9-second period. The combined energy jumps to 722 (strong). That’s a proper pulse. The wind is light out of the NW at 6 mph, so it’s cross-shore and clean. This is a big swell for Burleigh. For most surfers, it’s going to be a ripper, but at 7ft, it’s edging into expert territory if you’re not used to the power. The swell direction is right on the money for the point. Expect it to be running hard and fast. If you’re an experienced surfer, that Saturday morning is the one to circle. The crowd will be on it, but for a wave like that, it’s worth the battle.
The weekend after that, Sunday the 16th, holds a solid 6ft to 6ft, but the wind picks up strong from the SSE, making it a bit of a handful. The energy is still there (445, 455), but it’s not as clean as Saturday.
The last few days of the forecast drop back into small, ordinary surf. The combined energy in the second week Monday and Tuesday is weak to moderate (268, 226, 243, 341), and the wind is mostly cross-off or cross-shore. Nothing to get excited about.
So, in short: Monday morning the 3rd is your clean, smaller session. The big one to wait for is Saturday morning, August 15th. That’s the standout. Get on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | ESE 11 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
327 | 416 | 287 | 92 | 62 | 130 | 190 | 98 | 57 | 38 | 33 | 30 | 135 | 156 | 233 | 243 | 264 | 284 | 239 | 276 | 225 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:51AM1.22m | 10:53PM1.48m | 11:38AM1.25m | 11:37PM1.34m | 12:33PM1.27m | 00:31AM1.18m | 1:41PM1.32m | 1:41AM1.03m | 2:57PM1.40m | 3:08AM0.94m | 4:13PM1.52m | 4:32AM0.94m | 5:18PM1.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:38PM0.27m | 5:26AM0.14m | 5:30PM0.36m | 6:06AM0.18m | 6:37PM0.44m | 6:54AM0.23m | 8:05PM0.48m | 7:56AM0.27m | 9:46PM0.45m | 9:08AM0.26m | 11:11PM0.34m | 10:21AM0.21m | 00:13AM0.22m | ||||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | ESE 11 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 |
327 | 416 | 287 | 92 | 62 | 130 | 190 | 98 | 42 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 48 | 48 | 45 | 43 | 284 | 239 | 276 | 225 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | ENE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 7 | SSE 9 | ENE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | NE 9 | E 15 | E 16 | E 14 | SSE 9 | NNE 8 | S 9 | N 4 |
184 | 19 | 28 | 35 | 25 | 29 | 7 | 50 | 57 | 38 | 33 | 25 | 34 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 28 | 44 | 24 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | E 15 | E 14 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 9 | E 18 | SE 8 | S 7 | E 16 | SSE 7 | S 10 | E 15 | ESE 10 | N 12 | E 16 | — | S 8 | S 8 | N 12 | NE 7 |
25 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 30 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 3 | 5 | — | 13 | 12 | 3 | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 3 | — | — | S 6 | — | E 4 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — | — | NE 7 | WNW 3 |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 21 | — | 7 | 135 | 156 | 233 | 243 | 264 | — | — | 44 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 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.











