Surf Forecasts:
Elliott Heads surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 5s period, ESE swell with 117 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Elliott Heads this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Elliott Heads in the next 16 days are 1.4m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Elliott Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here. Let's break down the next couple of weeks.
Overall, it's a pretty dead stretch coming up. Nothing looks good, and the ocean is going to be mostly a mess. We’ve got a long gap from now until around September 25th with no decent surf. The wind is the problem, blowing cross-onshore day after day, turning even the small swell into lumpy chop. The combined swell energy is weak, with the highest reading only hitting 85 (moderate energy), and most days are well below 100, so there's just no power in the water.
Starting Thursday, September 10th, the morning brings a tiny 0.5m (2ft) swell from the east with a short 4-second period. The wind is a cross-onshore 20 km/h (12 mph) from the southeast. The afternoon gets a little bigger at 1.2m (4ft), but the wind jumps to 35 km/h (22 mph) and the rain rolls in – it's just poor. Friday and Saturday are the same story: 1.2m (4ft) swell from the east with a 5-second period, but the cross-onshore wind stays between 20-30 km/h (12-19 mph). The combined energy is weak to moderate, between 70 and 85, but the wind ruins everything. It stays like this through the weekend and into next week. The small 0.7m (2ft) to 0.8m (3ft) swells on Sunday and Monday are still chopped up. The water temp is about 70°F, which is about average for this time of year.
By Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th, the swell drops to just 0.4m (1ft) to 0.5m (2ft) and the energy bottoms out at 36 and 37. Even the slight bump on Thursday the 17th (1.1m/4ft from the east) can't overcome the onshore wind.
There’s only one break, Elliott Heads, a reef that’s inconsistent and for beginners, but it needs clean conditions to work. With the wind onshore every day, it’s not going to happen. The swell direction is mostly east or east-northeast, which isn’t matching the optimum ENE direction, so the waves are off-angle.
With the constant onshore wind and small, weak swell, this setup looks better for the kite and windsurfing crowd than for paddling on a surfboard.
So, plain and simple: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. For this area, a flat spell like this is pretty normal when the wind sits in. It doesn't usually stay poor forever, but there’s nothing here to get excited about right now.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SE by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 9 | 58 | 117 | 82 | 73 | 52 | 58 | 73 | 54 | 40 | 45 | 56 | 48 | 45 | 62 | 40 | 23 | 37 | 23 | 20 | 50 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-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 | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 8:08PM3.01m | 8:25AM2.68m | 8:42PM2.94m | 9:00AM2.73m | 9:14PM2.81m | 9:34AM2.72m | 9:44PM2.65m | 10:08AM2.66m | 10:13PM2.46m | 10:45AM2.57m | 10:44PM2.26m | 11:27AM2.44m | 11:19PM2.06m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:51PM0.28m | 2:27AM0.32m | 2:30PM0.28m | 2:58AM0.32m | 3:07PM0.35m | 3:27AM0.35m | 3:42PM0.47m | 3:56AM0.42m | 4:18PM0.64m | 4:26AM0.52m | 4:56PM0.82m | 4:58AM0.65m | 5:39PM1.02m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — |
 | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — |
mm | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | E 9 | NE 14 | N 13 | NE 14 | NE 16 | ENE 7 | NE 15 | E 6 | ENE 7 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 58 | 8 | 54 | 40 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 40 | 7 | 37 | 23 | 20 | 50 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 15 | NE 15 | — | — | — | ENE 7 | NE 16 | N 15 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 12 | NE 8 | NE 12 | NE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 12 | NE 12 |
| kJ | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | 5 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 11 | — | — | — | N 16 | — | — | NE 14 | NE 14 | — | — | NE 13 | — | NE 12 | NE 12 | — | NE 12 | NE 12 | — | N 18 |
| kJ | — | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 8 | 7 | — | — | 6 | — | 6 | 6 | — | 6 | 5 | — | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | SSE 3 | ENE 7 | — | SSE 3 | ENE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | SSE 3 | ENE 6 | — | SSE 2 | E 4 | SE 4 |
| kJ | 9 | 58 | 117 | 82 | 73 | 52 | 2 | 73 | — | 4 | 45 | 56 | 48 | 45 | 62 | 2 | 23 | — | 1 | 12 | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 900 | 509 | 370 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 132 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 132 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 |
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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.
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