The Heads 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

Issued: 1 am 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in hr min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is

17.7° C

The Heads surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.

Surf Forecasts:

How big are the waves at The Heads today (19 Jul):

Morning surf: Morning surf (19 Jul, local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period with SW swell.
Afternoon surf: Afternoon surf (19 Jul, local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with SW swell.
Evening surf: Evening surf (19 Jul, local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period with SW swell.

The current surf forecast for The Heads at 9AM is: 1.0m 12s primary swell from a Southwest direction and 1.3m 9s secondary swell from a Southwest direction (forecast issued at 01:00am July 19). The wind direction is predicted to be glassy and the swell rating is 3.

Time (SAST) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (19 Jul)	3.5ft (1.0m)	12s
Afternoon (19 Jul)	4.5ft (1.3m)	8s
Evening (19 Jul)	10ft (3.0m)	9s

Table - waves today at The Heads. (Swell directed towards the surf break)

	Short Range Forecast Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.
	Sunday 19								Monday 20								Tuesday 21
	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
Rating (10 max)	3	3	3	3	0	1	1	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	4	3	3	4	4
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SW 9	SW 12	SW 12	SW 12	SW 12	SW 9	SW 9	SW 9	SW 9	SW 10	SW 11	SW 11	SW 11	ESE 12	ESE 12	SW 10	SSW 16	SSW 16	SSW 15	SSW 14	SSW 14	SSW 14	SW 14	SW 13
Wave Graph
kJ	318	346	286	672	250	525	1165	1436	1083	990	844	716	647	371	365	392	373	349	987	1370	2031	2345	2276	2176
Wind (km/h)	NNW	NNW	N	NW	SW	W	W	W	WNW	NW	NNW	WSW	SSW	SSW	N	N	N	NNW	N	SE	SSE	ESE	ENE	NE
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy	glassy	glassy	glassy	glassy	cross-on	cross	cross	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	glassy	cross-on	on	glassy	off	off	glassy	glassy	glassy	cross-on	cross	cross-off	cross-off
High Tide			6:47AM1.48m				7:15PM1.61m				7:27AM1.34m				7:56PM1.47m					8:12AM1.21m				8:44PM1.33m
Low Tide	00:52AM0.30m				12:52PM0.26m				1:32AM0.42m				1:29PM0.40m					2:16AM0.53m				2:10PM0.55m


	—	7:28	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:28	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:28	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	5:37	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:38	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:39	—	—
mm	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Temp °C	14	13	13	17	17	15	16	14	13	12	12	16	17	15	13	13	13	13	12	16	17	15	13	12
Feels °C	14	13	13	17	14	11	11	10	11	10	10	15	15	14	12	11	11	12	10	15	15	13	11	10
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SW 9	SW 9	SW 9	SW 12	SW 8	SE 10	SE 10	SE 10	SW 9	SW 10	SW 11	SW 11	SW 11	SW 10	SW 10	SW 10	SW 10	SW 12	SSW 15	SSW 14	SSW 14	SSW 14	SW 14	SW 13
kJ	318	246	240	672	250	241	213	181	1083	990	844	716	647	354	334	392	257	349	987	1370	2031	2345	2276	2176
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SW 13	SW 12	SW 12	SE 9	SE 10	SW 12	SSE 10	SSE 10	SE 10	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	ESE 12	ESE 12	ESE 12	SE 11	SE 11	ESE 11	ESE 11	ESE 11	ESE 11	ESE 11	ESE 11	ESE 11
kJ	230	346	286	83	157	202	32	32	207	319	325	319	365	371	365	380	373	335	323	317	247	242	222	222
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SSE 11	SSE 11	SSE 10	S 11	SW 12	S 10	SSW 15	E 10	SSE 9	SSE 9	SSE 9	SSE 9	SSE 9	SSW 11	SW 11	WSW 9	SSW 16	SSW 16	E 10	E 10	—	—	—	—
kJ	156	187	177	82	236	31	42	18	17	16	16	16	16	215	128	54	371	348	8	8	—	—	—	—
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s)	—	—	—	—	—	SW 9	SW 9	SW 9	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	E 4
kJ	—	—	—	—	—	525	1165	1436	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	9
Nearest Offshore or Glassy	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Wedge Garden Route	Murphys (Buffalo Bay Beach) Garden Route	Brak River Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	Murphys (Buffalo Bay Beach) Garden Route	Murphys (Buffalo Bay Beach) Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Wildside Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route
Rating (10 max)	3	3	3	3	2	3	4	4	3	3	3	3	4	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4
Distance (km)	0	0	0	0	29	7	85	8	0	0	0	0	7	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	8	0	0
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Santos Reef	Brak River	Brak River	Dias Beach	Goukamma River Mouth	Goukamma River Mouth	Goukamma River Mouth	Goukamma River Mouth	Buffalo Bay	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Goukamma River Mouth	Goukamma River Mouth	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point
Rating (10 max)	3	3	3	3	2	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa	Whispering Waves Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Whispering Waves Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Super Tubes Eastern Cape (S)	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Country Club (African Beach) Durban/KZN South	Double Mouth Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Whispering Waves Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Kellys Beach Eastern Cape (S)	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Hout Bay Cape Town	Paranoia Overberg	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast
Rating (10 max)	4	3	3	3	4	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	4	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Header Global	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Dinner Plates New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	White Rock - The Spit New Zealand	Seconds (White Rock) New Zealand	Ning Nong Point and Reef New Zealand	Last Chance New Zealand	Diners Beach New Zealand	Diners Beach New Zealand	Asu Indonesia	Aganoa Beach Samoa	Aganoa Beach Samoa	Papatowai New Zealand	Cape St Martin South Africa	Chameau Mauritius	Cape St Martin South Africa	Cobblestones Australia
Rating (10 max)	6	6	7	7	7	7	7	6	5	5	8	7	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	5	4	4	4	5

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

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The Heads 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

How big are the waves at The Heads today (19 Jul):

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