Burleigh Heads
Hourly
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Timezone: Australia/Brisbane
Wind: GFS (20251108 00z)
Waves: GFS WAVE (20251108 00z)

Burleigh Heads surf guide

Burleigh Heads is a popular surf spot located on the Gold Coast, Australia. It features stunning scenery, including the nearby Pandanus Trees National Park. This spot is known for its boulders and sand shoreline, which adds a unique element to the surf experience. While it’s not as crowded as some other nearby spots, it does have a more localized vibe, meaning you’ll likely run into a few friendly locals when you paddle out.

The waves at Burleigh are something to check out, especially when the swell comes from the Southeast. It can handle swell sizes around 3 feet (about 1 meter) and offers nice right-hand point breaks. The breaks happen over boulders and sand, and you’ll find that the best conditions usually come with a SouthWest wind. It’s ideal to hit the waves during low to mid or high tide, but it’s worth noting that this spot is better suited for expert surfers. Some days, the wave action can definitely pump out some engaging barrels, especially when other areas are closing out.

Despite varying conditions, Burleigh often attracts surfers looking to get into some solid rides. It’s common to see paddlers coming up from the Tallebudgera rivermouth when the point is firing, as the rips can sometimes play tricks on you. Just keep in mind that the sand necessary for good wave formation isn’t always guaranteed, so the setup can change from session to session. It might take some time to find your groove here, but that's all part of the fun!

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Burleigh Heads

Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast)
Queensland, Australia
Beach break
Sat 8
Sun 9
Mon 10
Tue 11
Wed 12
Thu 13
Fri 14
Sat 15
Sun 16
Mon 17
Tue 18
Wed 19
Broadbeach
Queensland, Australia
Beach break
Sat 8
Sun 9
Mon 10
Tue 11
Wed 12
Thu 13
Fri 14
Sat 15
Sun 16
Mon 17
Tue 18
Wed 19
Currumbin Alley
Queensland, Australia
Rivermouth break
Sat 8
Sun 9
Mon 10
Tue 11
Wed 12
Thu 13
Fri 14
Sat 15
Sun 16
Mon 17
Tue 18
Wed 19
Miami
Queensland, Australia
Beach break
Sat 8
Sun 9
Mon 10
Tue 11
Wed 12
Thu 13
Fri 14
Sat 15
Sun 16
Mon 17
Tue 18
Wed 19
Burleigh Heads
Queensland, Australia
Point break
Sat 8
Sun 9
Mon 10
Tue 11
Wed 12
Thu 13
Fri 14
Sat 15
Sun 16
Mon 17
Tue 18
Wed 19
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Readme

Welcome! If you’re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

🔮 Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

💨 Wind section

The first row on the table (with the 💨 icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

🌊 Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

🌒 Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front — handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. It’s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

Log your surf sessions to compare forecasts with real sessions and sharpen future predictions.

Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Here’s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm — the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

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Confidence

Confidence tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High confidence: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium confidence: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
  • Low confidence: Models diverge; treat forecast with caution.

We calculate the wind confidence by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. For wave certainty we compare height, period and direction, also on multiple models. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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