Surf Forecasts:
Elliott Heads surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, ENE swell with 188 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Elliott Heads this week:
The surf forecast for Elliott Heads over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Elliott Heads in the next 16 days are 1.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Elliott Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on offer.
Honestly, for the next couple of weeks, it's looking pretty grim. We've got a long stretch of nothing really worth paddling out for. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for decent surf. There are no recommendations to get excited about, and the data backs that up. It's one of those periods where the conditions just aren't lining up.
Let's start with the only named spot we've got, Elliott Heads. It's a reef break that's inconsistent, which is the first clue. The water temp is sitting at 67.5°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.
The first few days, from Wednesday the 26th of August right through the weekend, are all "poor surf conditions." We're looking at tiny, weak swells, mostly from the NE and E, with heights barely scraping 2 ft to 2.6 ft. The combined wave energy is pitiful, never cracking triple digits (47 to 79). To make matters worse, the wind is mostly a cross-onshore from the SE, which will just chop up whatever little bumps there are. There's nothing here.
The next week doesn't get any better. From Monday the 31st of August into early September, the swell stays small and weak, with periods around 5 to 8 seconds. The energy picks up a bit on the 1st and 2nd of September, hitting a moderate 175 and 120, but it's still coupled with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The waves are still labelled "poor surf conditions." The swell direction is a mix of ENE and E, which isn't what this spot wants to see (it prefers an ENE direction, but the quality just isn't there).
Even when the wind goes light or cross-off on the 4th and 7th of September, the swell is tiny – like 0.7 ft to 2.6 ft – and the energy is negligible (8 to 91). It's clean, but there's nothing to ride. You'd be bobbing around on a millpond.
Basically, if you're looking for a paddle, you're out of luck. For a kite surfer, the setups on the days with stronger SE winds and bigger chop, like the 30th of August, might be more interesting, but for a surfboard, this is a solid two-week blank. It's not unusual for this area to have quiet spells, and this is one of them. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, keep the board in the shed.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 39 | 49 | 45 | 51 | 55 | 32 | 73 | 42 | 48 | 15 | 14 | 39 | 25 | 59 | 67 | 74 | 71 | 65 | 69 | 131 | 149 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:30PM2.83m | 7:41AM2.33m | 7:59PM2.91m | 8:12AM2.48m | 8:30PM2.96m | 8:45AM2.61m | 9:02PM2.96m | 9:20AM2.70m | 9:36PM2.89m | 9:59AM2.74m | 10:14PM2.76m | 10:42AM2.71m | 10:55PM2.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:05PM0.57m | 1:55AM0.57m | 1:39PM0.45m | 2:22AM0.46m | 2:13PM0.35m | 2:50AM0.36m | 2:48PM0.30m | 3:20AM0.31m | 3:26PM0.31m | 3:53AM0.29m | 4:07PM0.38m | 4:30AM0.33m | 4:54PM0.53m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | N 12 | ENE 7 | E 5 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 11 | E 5 | NE 10 | ENE 9 | NE 10 | — | ENE 8 | — | ENE 8 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 39 | 49 | 45 | 51 | 55 | 32 | 3 | 42 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 5 | 25 | 4 | 8 | 4 | — | 23 | — | 44 | 33 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 15 | N 14 | NE 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 10 | N 12 | NE 12 | ENE 7 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 8 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 11 | — | — | NE 12 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 8 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | — | — | N 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 2 | SSE 4 | SE 2 | ESE 4 | ENE 7 | — | ENE 7 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | SSE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 73 | — | 48 | 14 | 14 | 39 | 10 | 59 | 67 | 74 | 71 | 65 | 69 | 131 | 149 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 84 | 86 | 86 | 95 | 173 | 132 | 132 | 173 | 86 | 173 | 132 | 173 | 376 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 132 | 132 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Queensland North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Elliott Heads surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Elliott Heads Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Elliott Heads provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Elliott Heads can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Elliott 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 (Elliott 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 Elliott 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.
Nearest