Surf Forecasts:
Elliott Heads surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s period, ENE swell with 128 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 0.8m 11s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Elliott Heads over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Elliott Heads.
Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s gonna be a lean couple of weeks. There’s nothing on offer at all for the first few days. The whole 16-day window is practically a write-off for any kind of decent session. We’re looking at a long, dry spell here with no real surf to speak of.
The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is a whopping 5° colder than normal for this time of year. That’s a real kicker – you’ll be wanting a thick wettie for sure.
We don’t get any kind of recommendation until way down the track. Now, this spot at Elliott Heads (Australia) is a reef break that’s *inconsistent* and only really handles a swell from the ENE. The issue is, any time we do see a pulse of energy, the wind just messes it up. For instance, around the 16th and 17th of July, we get a bump in swell height up to 5ft and moderate wave energy (141 to 175), but it’s coming with a short period of 4-6 seconds and 19 mph cross-onshore winds. That’s just lumpy, choppy, and not worth paddling out for.
Later on, around the 18th to the 22nd of July, the period stretches out a bit to 10-14 seconds, and the swell height sits around 2ft to 2ft. The energy is moderate in places (223 on the 18th morning), but the wind is still cross-onshore or onshore. There’s one sneaky window on the morning of the 16th of July with a cross-shore wind and a 3ft swell from the SSE, but the period is a short 5 seconds and the energy is weak (102). It’s just not going to line up.
Truth is, for the entire 16 days, every single entry is rated as poor surf conditions. There’s just no standout, no hidden gem. The setup here looks far more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer with those lumpy cross-offshore winds, especially when the swell gets above 3ft. If you’re desperate for a splash, the cleanest conditions we see are the morning of the 14th of July, but with a 0.3ft swell from the NE, you’re basically floating. This is one of those blank runs that’s pretty normal for the area when the swell direction and wind just don’t align.
Keep the faith, though – forecasts change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SE by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 10 | SSE 3 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 41 | 46 | 119 | 86 | 69 | 102 | 84 | 125 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:15PM2.87m | 6:24AM2.20m | 7:09PM3.04m | 7:19AM2.25m | 7:58PM3.15m | 8:10AM2.31m | 8:44PM3.20m | 8:58AM2.35m | 9:29PM3.17m | 9:43AM2.36m | 10:11PM3.06m | 10:29AM2.35m | 10:52PM2.90m | 11:16AM2.31m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:47AM0.73m | 12:28PM0.39m | 1:42AM0.59m | 1:20PM0.30m | 2:31AM0.49m | 2:09PM0.25m | 3:15AM0.43m | 2:56PM0.25m | 3:58AM0.42m | 3:41PM0.32m | 4:39AM0.45m | 4:25PM0.43m | 5:19AM0.52m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 |
 | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | 5:17 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | NNW 3 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | — | N 3 | NE 10 | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 5 | E 6 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 2 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 10 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 43 | 45 | 56 | 65 | 125 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | ENE 5 | E 5 | — | ENE 10 | — | — | NE 10 | NE 10 | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 6 | — | — | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 10 |
| kJ | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | 10 | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 24 | 4 | — | — | 17 | 25 | 27 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 5 | E 6 | NE 6 | NE 9 | NE 9 | — | ENE 9 | — | — | — | — | ENE 9 | — |
| kJ | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | 8 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 18 | 41 | 46 | 119 | 86 | 69 | 102 | 84 | 71 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 86 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 698 | 576 | 684 | 370 | 509 | 509 | 509 | 509 | 788 | 376 | 376 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Queensland North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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