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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 am Friday 22 May 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
18.0° C
(Which is slightly cooler than normal)How big are the waves at The Heads today?
The current surf forecast for The Heads at 5AM is: 0.4m 18s primary swell from a South-southwest direction and 1.0m 8s secondary swell from a East direction, 0.6m 12s secondary swell from a Southwest direction, 0.7m 5s secondary swell from a Southwest direction (forecast issued at 01:00am May 22). The wind direction is predicted to be cross-offshore and the swell rating is 2.
| Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (22 May) | 3ft (0.9m) | 8s |
| Afternoon (22 May) | 2ft (0.6m) | 17s |
| Evening (22 May) | 2.5ft (0.8m) | 16s |
Table - waves today at The Heads. (Swell directed towards the surf break)
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 22 | Saturday 23 | Sunday 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | 11 AM | 2 PM | 5 PM | 8 PM | 11 PM | |
Swell Height Map |    |    |    | |||||||||||||||||||||
ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | |
155 | 131 | 94 | 178 | 200 | 268 | 330 | 322 | 294 | 472 | 529 | 514 | 503 | 480 | 520 | 430 | 240 | 251 | 492 | 570 | 637 | 386 | 386 | 386 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | |
High Tide | 7:46AM1.31m | 8:37PM1.39m | 9:05AM1.20m | 10:00PM1.37m | 10:35AM1.17m | |||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 1:44AM0.50m | 2:04PM0.46m | 3:06AM0.58m | 3:18PM0.53m | 4:36AM0.59m | 4:38PM0.56m | ||||||||||||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 | — | — | — | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:29 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 |
15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | E 8 | SW 6 | E 7 | E 7 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
 kJ | 155 | 118 | 49 | 70 | 52 | 268 | 330 | 322 | 100 | 117 | 529 | 514 | 503 | 480 | 520 | 430 | 240 | 190 | 492 | 570 | 637 | 386 | 386 | 386 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | ESE 8 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 18 | SSE 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 89 | 87 | 94 | 80 | 101 | 99 | 99 | 94 | 294 | 472 | 99 | 60 | 40 | 36 | 25 | 112 | 107 | 95 | 65 | 120 | 75 | 175 | 175 | 232 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 18 | SW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | SW 11 | E 8 | ESE 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | E 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 |
| kJ | 43 | 131 | 84 | 178 | 200 | 39 | 27 | 28 | 96 | 19 | 45 | 67 | 64 | 60 | 58 | 37 | 220 | 251 | 56 | 55 | 36 | 81 | 79 | 79 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | SW 5 | — | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 13 | 27 | — | 75 | 124 | 128 | 86 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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