Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, S swell with 371 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with ESE 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore 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 Thursday (Aug 13) 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 1.6m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here again. Let's break down the same outlook for Burleigh Heads, but in feet and Fahrenheit.
The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag, but the real story is the solid pulse of swell that's building for the second week. We've got a bit of a wait for the good stuff, though.
We start off on Thursday, August 6th, with some small, weak waves. The morning has a bit of glassy 2ft swell from the ENE, which is a touch short at 7 seconds, but the low energy (111) means it's not doing much. It's surfable, but nothing to write home about. Friday morning, August 7th, is much the same with a glassy 3ft from the ENE (123 energy). It's clean, but tiny. From Saturday (August 8th) through to the middle of the next week, it's a bit of a write-off. The winds get messy, the swell is small and confused, and the ratings are poor. Just forget about it for a while.
Now, the real action starts on Thursday, August 13th. The morning kicks off with a clean 7ft groundswell from the S, hitting the optimum SSE direction. The combined energy jumps to 393 (moderate), and it's got clean, cross-off wind. This is a proper turn-up. The waves are going to be solid, and with that short 6 second period, it'll be a bit bouncy, but still a fun size for those who know what they're doing.
Friday, August 14th, is a serious step up. The swell builds to 12ft from the SSE with a 9-second period, and the energy is pumping at 2033 (strong). It's still clean with cross-off winds, but this is big—over 8ft—so it's strictly for the experts. The same goes for the rest of the weekend. Saturday, August 15th, holds 10ft to 12ft from the ESE/SE with 11-second periods and massive energy readings (3671 and 3454). Sunday, August 16th, is the absolute peak, with a 13ft SSE swell and a 12-second period, rocking an incredible 6876 energy. This is a massive, powerful groundswell. The long period will make it grind perfectly down the point, but the size is huge, so only the most experienced crew should be out there.
The standout session is going to be the morning of Thursday, August 20th. The swell has dropped back to a more manageable 5ft from the SE, with a very long 12-second period. The combined energy is still a solid 849 (strong), and the winds are clean and cross-off. This is where the magic happens—clean, long-period lines wrapping into Burleigh Heads. It's going to be a beautiful day for a surf. Just keep in mind that Burleigh Heads can get busy, so expect some company out there.
The water temperature is around average for this time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the NNW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 57 | 41 | 33 | 40 | 67 | 59 | 53 | 137 | 215 | 224 | 288 | 235 | 157 | 127 | 130 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:31AM1.18m | 1:41PM1.32m | 1:41AM1.03m | 2:57PM1.40m | 3:08AM0.94m | 4:13PM1.52m | 4:32AM0.94m | 5:18PM1.66m | 5:39AM0.99m | 6:14PM1.80m | 6:34AM1.07m | 7:04PM1.89m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:54AM0.23m | 8:05PM0.48m | 7:56AM0.27m | 9:46PM0.45m | 9:08AM0.26m | 11:11PM0.34m | 10:21AM0.21m | 00:13AM0.22m | 11:25AM0.12m | 1:04AM0.11m | 12:20PM0.02m | 1:47AM0.04m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 59 | 41 | 30 | 40 | 67 | 59 | 53 | 137 | 215 | 224 | 288 | 235 | 157 | 91 | 130 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | S 8 | E 9 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | S 10 |
| kJ | 57 | 38 | 33 | 20 | 23 | 48 | 37 | 47 | 44 | 45 | 44 | 48 | 6 | 127 | 32 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 73 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 5 | SSE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | E 16 | NE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | — | WNW 3 | S 9 | NE 7 |
| kJ | 1 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 17 | 29 | 5 | 13 | 28 | 26 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 14 | 12 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 7 | — | — | S 5 | — | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | — | — | NNE 2 | NNE 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | W 4 | — | — | N 3 |
| kJ | — | 24 | — | — | 8 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 63 | 66 | 42 | 10 | — | — | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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