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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 Sunday 17 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
17.7° C
(Which is 1.2°C colder than average for this time of year)How big are the waves at The Heads today?
The current surf forecast for The Heads at 9AM is: 1.1m 11s primary swell from a South direction and 0.9m 11s secondary swell from a West-southwest direction (forecast issued at 01:00am May 17). The wind direction is predicted to be cross-offshore and the swell rating is 2.
| Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (17 May) | 3.5ft (1.1m) | 11s |
| Afternoon (17 May) | 3.5ft (1.1m) | 12s |
| Evening (17 May) | 3ft (0.9m) | 11s |
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 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 17 | Monday 18 | Tuesday 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 |    |    |    | |||||||||||||||||||||
SW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSE 8 | SW 13 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | |
549 | 354 | 342 | 233 | 364 | 347 | 185 | 206 | 471 | 451 | 444 | 503 | 458 | 757 | 813 | 790 | 618 | 505 | 473 | 430 | 431 | 525 | 830 | 978 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | |
High Tide | 3:35AM1.91m | 4:04PM1.74m | 4:19AM1.87m | 4:48PM1.71m | 5:04AM1.77m | 5:35PM1.65m | ||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 9:55AM-0.02m | 10:06PM0.09m | 10:38AM0.02m | 10:53PM0.15m | 11:22AM0.11m | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  | |  | |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 | — | — | — | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
14 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
 kJ | 549 | 354 | 342 | 233 | 364 | 347 | 185 | 189 | 471 | 451 | 444 | 503 | 458 | 757 | 813 | 790 | 415 | 505 | 459 | 414 | 385 | 380 | 282 | 245 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 10 | SW 14 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 454 | 273 | 247 | 204 | 233 | 233 | 138 | 206 | 309 | 259 | 171 | 132 | 199 | 225 | 101 | 69 | 618 | 504 | 473 | 430 | 431 | 102 | 116 | 111 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | SW 13 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 6 | SSW 16 | S 18 | S 17 | SE 16 | SSE 11 | E 7 | E 7 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | E 11 | — | SSW 10 |
| kJ | 34 | 212 | 41 | 49 | 44 | 47 | 43 | 43 | 29 | 20 | 20 | 13 | 149 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 40 | 9 | 8 | 81 | 74 | 2 | — | 20 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | — | E 5 | E 7 | E 7 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 24 | 69 | 107 | 589 | — | 49 | 22 | 8 | 525 | 830 | 978 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 | 26 | 8 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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