
Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, S swell with 1,462 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 10s period. 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 10AM. 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here, with a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, let's be straight with you. The next couple of weeks at Burleigh Heads have a bit of a split personality. We've got a pretty quiet stretch coming up right away, but there's a big pulse of energy brewing for the second week that's got my attention. The water temp is sitting at 70°F, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Looking at the immediate forecast, we're in a bit of a lull. Thursday the 9th through to Wednesday the 15th of July is a pretty flat and messy run. The swell is small, mostly below 3ft, and the wind is often cross-off or cross-on, not making for any kind of quality session. The combined energy is weak, hitting values like 78 (on the 13th), so it's really not worth paddling out for. The best of this quiet period is probably Saturday the 11th morning, where we get a glassy 5ft SSE swell with the combined energy at 580. It's an option, but it's a small one. The scores are low, and it's just not a standout.
Now, things change on Thursday the 16th of July. This is the one we're waiting for. The swell jumps up to 10ft from the S, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 1462. That's moderate, but it's a real step up. The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW, and the forecast says it's "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" – and I agree. At 10ft, this is expert territory, and the long period groundswell will be wrapping nicely into the point. This is the standout of the whole window. The crowds will be likely given the quality, but for a good surfer, this is the best on offer.
The swell then builds even more on Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th, hitting 13ft, but the wind cranks up to 25 mph from the SSE. The combined energy rockets to 6964 on the 18th morning, which is very strong, but that wind is going to make it a battle. The setup at Burleigh Heads, being a point, will handle it better than a beach, but with that much wind, it might be more of a kite session than a classic paddle session. The quality drops off for pure surfing.
After that big pulse, we settle back down. Sunday the 19th still has a solid 8ft SSE swell, but the wind is still a moderate 15-16 mph. The following Monday the 20th has a morning window with a clean 5ft SSE swell and a light offshore from the SSW, which could be a nice, smaller follow-up session. After that, from the 21st onwards, it fades back into very small, ordinary conditions.
So, my call? Don't bother with the first week. The absolute standout is Thursday the 16th of July morning for the experienced crew. Saturday the 18th morning has the size for the experts, but the wind is a real issue. Monday the 20th morning is a nice, smaller option for the clean-up.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | ESE 10 | S 8 | ESE 9 | S 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1199 | 936 | 881 | 748 | 836 | 687 | 392 | 325 | 347 | 248 | 196 | 98 | 56 | 53 | 52 | 50 | 25 | 18 | 20 | 9 | 1142 | |
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 | off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:19PM1.35m | 3:17AM1.09m | 4:24PM1.50m | 4:33AM1.03m | 5:26PM1.66m | 5:42AM1.01m | 6:23PM1.81m | 6:42AM1.03m | 7:17PM1.92m | 7:36AM1.07m | 8:07PM1.98m | 8:26AM1.12m | 8:54PM1.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:42PM0.45m | 9:32AM0.19m | 11:06PM0.35m | 10:33AM0.16m | 00:16AM0.23m | 11:31AM0.09m | 1:15AM0.13m | 12:27PM0.02m | 2:06AM0.05m | 1:19PM-0.03m | 2:53AM0.01m | 2:10PM-0.06m | 3:37AM0.00m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 9 |
Temp °C | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | S 23 | SE 10 | SE 15 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 9 | — |
198 | 11 | 881 | 174 | 836 | 687 | 392 | 226 | 347 | 248 | 196 | 98 | 56 | 53 | 52 | 50 | 25 | 11 | 20 | 9 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 14 | — | SE 15 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SE 8 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | NE 10 | — |
— | — | — | 342 | — | 9 | 180 | 325 | 77 | 39 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 17 | 25 | 10 | 18 | 9 | 4 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 9 | ESE 10 | N 10 | ESE 7 | N 10 | N 10 | E 10 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SE 10 | — | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | SSE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | SSE 5 | S 8 |
1199 | 936 | — | 748 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 56 | 1142 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 271 | 69 | 51 | 237 | 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.










