Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, SSE swell with 387 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. 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 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) 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 1.6m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Burleigh Heads.
Alright, straight up, the next few days are pretty grim. We’ve got a bit of a flat spell to get through first. From Thursday the 23rd right through until the end of July, it’s a write-off. There’s nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is either onshore or just messy. You’ll be sitting there bobbing around on ankle-biters. It’s a proper dry spell.
Now, we start to see some life from Saturday the 1st of August. The swell picks up, but it’s not clean. We’re looking at a solid 10ft swell from the SSE on Saturday morning, but the wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 12 mph. The energy is strong, with a reading of 1205, but the conditions are marginal. This is big, powerful stuff, and with the period at 9 seconds, it’s a bit lumpy. For the experienced crew, it might be worth a look, but for the average weekend warrior, it's going to be a handful. The water temp is about average for the time of year, sitting around 69°F.
The real standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th of August. Thursday morning sees a solid 13ft SSE groundswell with a very long period of 12 seconds. The energy is massive at 7602. The wind is a clean cross-off from the S at 12 mph. That’s a proper pulse. Thursday afternoon, it gets even better: 15ft swell from the SSE, a 13-second period, and the energy goes through the roof at 10670. The wind drops to a gentle 9 mph from the SSE, still cross-off. This is big, powerful, and clean. This is only for the experts. Over 8ft, it’s expert territory, and this is double that. The long period means it’ll be a bit walled up at times, but on a point break like Burleigh, it’ll groom into some proper barrels. Friday the 7th hangs in there with a 10ft swell from the SE, still a 13-second period, and light cross-off winds. The energy is still massive at 3391. The afternoon session on Friday is looking excellent for experienced surfers, with a light breeze and clean conditions.
No other spot comes close to that window. The earlier stuff is just too big and messy, and the first week is flat. Keep your eyes on that Thursday and Friday, it’s the real deal. Just be aware, with that much size and power, it’s a serious wave. Crowds at Burleigh are often a factor, but on a solid 13ft+ day, most people will be happy just watching from the carpark.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 161 | 134 | 57 | 237 | 337 | 327 | 226 | 173 | 157 | 120 | 102 | 125 | 113 | 123 | 108 | 81 | 52 | 30 | 29 | 26 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:25AM0.89m | 4:45PM1.32m | 4:40AM0.88m | 5:36PM1.39m | 5:41AM0.91m | 6:19PM1.48m | 6:29AM0.96m | 6:58PM1.56m | 7:09AM1.01m | 7:34PM1.64m | 7:46AM1.05m | 8:07PM1.69m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:24PM0.60m | 9:33AM0.35m | 11:34PM0.52m | 10:33AM0.34m | 00:23AM0.43m | 11:26AM0.30m | 1:03AM0.34m | 12:11PM0.24m | 1:39AM0.27m | 12:51PM0.18m | 2:12AM0.20m | 1:29PM0.13m | 2:44AM0.15m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — |
 | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 18 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 9 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | 161 | 134 | 57 | 55 | 83 | 327 | 226 | 173 | 157 | 120 | 102 | 125 | 113 | 123 | 108 | 81 | 52 | 30 | 29 | 26 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 10 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | NE 6 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ESE 13 |
| kJ | 6 | 7 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 79 | 58 | 29 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 6 | E 11 | E 10 | S 12 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | SE 19 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 44 | 217 | 134 | 23 | 6 | 20 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | — | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | — | S 4 | SSE 4 | ENE 2 | — | SE 3 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 29 | 237 | 337 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | 10 | 10 | 1 | — | 3 | 13 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 12 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 30 |
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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