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The Heads Surf Forecast
/ Garden Route (22 surf breaks) /
Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surfForecast / Garden Route / South Africa
48hr Weather and Surf, issued 1 pm Sunday 26 Apr 2026 SASTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
The Heads surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's The Heads sea temperature is
19.7° C
(Which is slightly warmer than usual)How big are the waves at The Heads today?
The current surf forecast for The Heads at 9PM is: 2.5m 9s primary swell from a West-southwest direction and 0.6m 9s secondary swell from a East direction, 0.3m 15s secondary swell from a Southwest direction (forecast issued at 01:00pm April 26). The wind direction is predicted to be cross-shore.
| Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (26 Apr) | 3.5ft (1.0m) | 8s |
| Afternoon (26 Apr) | 4ft (1.2m) | 9s |
| Evening (26 Apr) | 8ft (2.5m) | 9s |
Table - waves today at The Heads. (Swell directed towards the surf break)
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sun night, calm by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wed 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 AM | 2 PM | 5 PM | 8 PM | 11 PM | 2 AM | 5 AM | 8 AM | 11 AM | 2 PM | 5 PM | 8 PM | 11 PM | 2 AM | 5 AM | 8 AM | 11 AM | 2 PM | 5 PM | 8 PM | 11 PM | 2 AM | 5 AM | 8 AM | |
Swell Height Map |    |    |    |    | ||||||||||||||||||||
SW 9 | SW 10 | SW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | |
112 | 269 | 316 | 673 | 2194 | 1799 | 2053 | 2308 | 2447 | 1855 | 1753 | 1689 | 2912 | 2790 | 2925 | 3248 | 2563 | 3185 | 3934 | 3919 | 4262 | 4206 | 4240 | 3567 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | |
High Tide | 12:41PM1.28m | 1:03AM1.51m | 1:27PM1.39m | 1:42AM1.61m | 2:04PM1.48m | 2:14AM1.69m | ||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 6:45PM0.47m | 7:30AM0.38m | 7:29PM0.38m | 8:05AM0.28m | 8:04PM0.30m | |||||||||||||||||||
 | | |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:00 | — |
 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | — | — | 5:49 |
— | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 9 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 10 | SW 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 |
 kJ | 112 | 269 | 221 | 52 | 56 | 42 | 80 | 75 | 49 | 951 | 1292 | 1689 | 52 | 2790 | 2925 | 2821 | 2563 | 3185 | 3934 | 3919 | 4262 | 4206 | 4240 | 3567 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SW 15 | SSE 14 | SSW 15 | SSE 13 | SW 13 | — | E 10 | E 10 | SW 12 | E 10 | SW 12 | E 11 | E 11 | S 14 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 99 | 92 | 69 | 34 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 62 | — | 48 | 31 | 178 | 18 | 169 | 20 | 20 | 529 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 290 | 170 | 287 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSE 14 | — | SSE 14 | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | — | E 10 | — | — | E 10 | — | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 47 | 25 | 34 | 20 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | 19 | — | — | 19 | — | — | 18 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 10 | SSW 11 | — | — | SSW 11 | — | — | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 316 | 673 | 2194 | 1799 | 2053 | 2308 | 2447 | 1855 | 1753 | 937 | 2912 | — | — | 3248 | — | — | 570 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 30 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 517 | 499 | 499 | 481 | 436 | 1215 | 423 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 11 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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