Burleigh Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.09° S 153.46° E

Burleigh Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Burleigh Heads sea temperature is
20.9° C
0.0° 

Burleigh Heads surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, ESE swell with 1,944 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period with E 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4PM (Tue 21st Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 9s
Best Surf 4PM (Tue 21st Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 9s
Most Powerful10PM (Mon 20th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Burleigh Heads over the next couple of weeks.

First up, that water temp is about 69.6°, which is pretty average for this time of year – nothing unusual.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a flat spell to get through. The first real action is a bit of a trick. Monday the 20th sees a thumping 11.5ft swell from the ESE, but with that 18.6 mph SSE cross-off it’s gonna be a wild and messy beast. The energy is pumping hard (2433), but it’s a real handful for experts only. Honestly, that first day is more about watching than paddling.

Tuesday the 21st is a step down, with a 7.9ft ESE swell in the morning, but it’s still a bit raw. The afternoon gets cleaner with a 6.6ft E swell and a lighter 9.3 mph cross-off, though the energy is dropping (743). Wednesday the 22nd is where it gets interesting. The morning is a clean 4.9ft from the SSE with a light 6.2 mph cross-off, and then the afternoon turns on. By Wednesday afternoon, the wind drops to a glassy 3.1 mph from the NE, and the swell is a tidy 3.9ft from the ENE. That’s clean, shoulder-high fun at Burleigh (476 energy). That Wednesday afternoon session is a standout – it’s the best of the first week.

Thursday the 23rd starts off glassy with a 3.9ft E swell, but the period is low at 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weak. The wind goes onshore by the afternoon, so it gets messy. Friday the 24th is a write-off with a strong SSE cross-off and a bumpy 5.9ft SSE windswell.

We hit a proper lull from Friday the 24th afternoon right through to the end of the month. There are a few glassy mornings with tiny waves, like Saturday the 25th morning with a 3.6ft S swell, but it’s skinny and not worth the paddle. The energy drops to double digits – it’s flat.

Then, looking into the second week, we get a pulse. Tuesday the 4th of August brings a solid 8.2ft SSE swell in the morning with a clean 12.4 mph cross-off. The energy is back up to 714. That’s a big, powerful southwest swell for Burleigh, and it’s clean. It’s a big one though, over 8.2ft, so this is for the experienced crew only. The sets will be long and lined up, but it’s a heavy wave. That Tuesday morning is the standout of the whole outlook – a proper winter groundswell hitting the point.

So, to wrap it up: the pick of the first week is Wednesday the 22nd afternoon for a glassy, fun size wave. The real standout, the one to circle on the calendar, is Tuesday the 4th of August for a big, clean, expert-only session at Burleigh.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon afternoon, calm by Thu morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
2
3
2
2
2
2
1
0
1
0
0
2
2
0
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
ESE
10
3
ESE
10
2.4
ESE
10
2
E
9
1.6
ESE
9
1.5
E
9
1.2
ENE
10
1.4
E
9
1.2
E
8
1.1
E
8
1
E
8
0.9
ENE
8
1.8
SSE
6
1.5
SSE
7
1.1
S
9
0.7
SSE
15
0.8
SSE
10
0.7
SSE
10
0.7
SSE
10
0.7
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2378
1734
1086
690
358
367
263
299
201
165
127
101
229
225
212
193
133
100
98
102
Wind (km/h)
30
SSE
20
SSE
20
SSE
15
SSE
10
SSE
10
SSE
5
NE
10
WNW
0
WSW
10
E
10
SSW
20
SSE
25
SSE
15
SSW
5
NW
15
NNE
5
WSW
5
SSE
10
ESE
5
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-on
off
glassy
cross
off
High Tide
00:22AM1.25m
1:36PM1.22m
1:09AM1.09m
2:40PM1.23m
2:09AM0.97m
3:46PM1.26m
3:25AM0.89m
4:45PM1.32m
4:40AM0.88m
5:36PM1.39m
5:41AM0.91m
6:19PM1.48m
Low Tide
6:22PM0.47m
6:54AM0.21m
7:29PM0.58m
7:39AM0.27m
8:54PM0.63m
8:33AM0.32m
10:24PM0.60m
9:33AM0.35m
11:34PM0.52m
10:33AM0.34m
00:23AM0.43m
11:26AM0.30m
1:03AM0.34m
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:33
6:33
6:33
6:33
6:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:08
5:09
5:10
5:10
5:12
5:12
5:13
 mm
1
2
4
Temp °C
19
18
18
18
17
18
18
17
20
19
16
17
15
13
18
18
15
17
17
16
Feels °C
14
13
15
16
15
19
18
16
19
18
15
13
9
10
15
15
13
15
16
16
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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