Surf Forecasts:
Burleigh Heads surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with 2,138 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with SSE 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 (Sep 15) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Burleigh Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the next couple of weeks.
First off, it's a bit of a slow start. There’s nothing doing at Burleigh Heads for a good stretch. We're looking at a solid gap of days with pretty much nothing to write home about, so don't bother waxing up just yet.
The first real glimmer of something worthwhile shows up on Wednesday the 16th. It’s a tricky one though. Wednesday afternoon, the swell jumps up to 10ft out of the SSE, but the period is only 8 seconds. That's a lot of water moving around with a short period, and the combined energy is strong, sitting at 1006. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean, but that size and period combo will be a handful and more of a big-wave affair. Thursday the 17th is similar, with 8ft to 10ft SSE swell, and the energy is very strong (1174-1323). The winds stay cross-off, so it'll look nice, but again, this is for the experienced crew only. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days.
After that big pulse, it drops back down but remains marginal. Friday the 18th morning has 6ft SSE swell with a cross breeze, and the energy is moderate (581). It's not going to be clean perfection, but it might be the most user-friendly day of that first week if you're an intermediate. The rest of the days leading into the following week are mostly small and onshore.
Now, looking further out, there’s something interesting on the horizon. Tuesday the 22nd shows a new pulse of 8ft SE swell with an 8-second period and moderate to strong energy (799). The wind is a gentle cross-shore in the morning, which is a decent sign, but it'll have some chop. Again, not perfect but it's something to keep an eye on.
The real standout, and the one I'd circle on the calendar, is Tuesday the 29th of September. We're looking at a 3ft SSE groundswell, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. That's a proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong (989). The wind is a fresh cross-offshore in the morning, so expect clean, lined-up waves. At that size, it's perfect for a point break like Burleigh, and the long period will make for some really fun, pushy waves. It's over a week away, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but this one has potential to be the pick of the period.
Stay patient, and keep an eye on that last week.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Mon night, fresh winds from the SSE by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | SSE 9 | E 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | N 4 | ENE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SSE 10 | N 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 88 | 69 | 47 | 46 | 32 | 28 | 23 | 1006 | 2138 | 1168 | 1320 | 821 | 575 | 404 | 252 | 188 | 150 | 84 | 29 | 30 | 40 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:44PM1.30m | 10:19AM1.44m | 10:19PM1.16m | 11:01AM1.37m | 10:59PM1.02m | 11:51AM1.29m | 11:50PM0.91m | 12:55PM1.22m | 1:08AM0.83m | 2:14PM1.20m | 2:50AM0.82m | 3:29PM1.25m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:49PM0.22m | 3:51AM0.13m | 4:32PM0.33m | 4:23AM0.22m | 5:21PM0.43m | 4:59AM0.32m | 6:22PM0.52m | 5:45AM0.41m | 7:47PM0.56m | 6:52AM0.48m | 9:23PM0.53m | 8:20AM0.50m | 10:31PM0.45m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | NE 13 | NE 13 | ENE 8 | E 13 | NE 16 | NE 15 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 9 |
| kJ | 88 | 32 | 43 | 24 | 17 | 24 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 404 | 252 | 188 | 150 | 84 | 29 | 21 | 14 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 14 | — | — | NE 13 | NE 16 | E 12 | E 12 | NE 15 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 17 | SE 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 31 | 69 | 47 | 46 | 32 | 16 | 4 | — | — | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 30 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | NE 8 | E 10 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | — | — | — | — | S 20 | E 12 | E 12 | NE 14 | SSE 18 | E 8 | SSE 16 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 5 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | — | — | NNE 3 | N 4 | S 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | NNE 2 | N 3 | NNW 4 | N 4 | N 4 |
| kJ | — | 23 | — | — | 9 | 28 | 177 | 1006 | 2138 | 1168 | 1320 | 821 | 575 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 40 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 12 | 12 | 0 | 26 | 166 | 49 | 193 | 1377 | 285 | 11 | 331 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 500 | 0 | 84 | 967 | 49 |
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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