The Heads 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

Issued: 1 pm 09 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in hr min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is

16.9° 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 (09 Jul):

Morning surf: Morning surf (09 Jul, local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Afternoon surf: Afternoon surf (09 Jul, local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period with SSW swell.
Evening surf: Evening surf (09 Jul, local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period with SSW swell.

The current surf forecast for The Heads at 8PM is: 3.0m 13s primary swell from a South-southwest direction and 0.1m 16s secondary swell from a Southeast direction (forecast issued at 01:00pm July 09). The wind direction is predicted to be glassy and the swell rating is 4.

Time (SAST) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (09 Jul)	10ft (3.0m)	14s
Afternoon (09 Jul)	10ft (3.0m)	13s
Evening (09 Jul)	10ft (3.0m)	13s

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

	Short Range Forecast Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.
	Thu 9					Friday 10								Saturday 11								Sun 12
	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
Rating (10 max)	3	2	3	4	!	!	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	1	2	3	3	3	3	3
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SSW 14	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	S 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	S 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 11
Wave Graph
kJ	3562	3125	3024	3450	3708	3708	3451	3451	3123	2938	2773	2493	2319	2195	2195	2221	2147	2046	1659	1564	1513	1018	892	665
Wind (km/h)	W	SW	SW	WSW	W	NW	NW	NW	W	SSW	S	ENE	ENE	NE	NE	NE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	ENE	ENE
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy	cross	cross-on	cross-on	glassy	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	glassy	cross-on	glassy	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-on	cross-on	cross	cross	cross	cross	cross-off	cross-off
High Tide	10:33AM1.20m					11:10PM1.43m				12:05PM1.25m				00:31AM1.50m				1:19PM1.36m				1:38AM1.60m
Low Tide			4:29PM0.55m					5:49AM0.47m				6:00PM0.52m				7:05AM0.37m				7:18PM0.42m


	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:31	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:31	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:31	—
	—	—	5:31	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:32	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:32	—	—	—	—	5:34
mm	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Temp °C	14	15	14	14	13	12	12	12	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	16	17	16	15	15	14	13	13
Feels °C	12	13	12	13	11	10	10	10	14	13	13	12	12	12	12	12	14	14	13	13	13	12	11	11
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SSW 14	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	S 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	S 12	SSW 12	SSW 12	SSW 11
kJ	3562	3125	3024	3450	3708	3708	3451	3451	3123	2938	2773	2493	2319	2195	2195	2221	2147	2046	1659	1564	1513	1018	892	665
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SE 17	SE 16	SE 16	SE 16	SE 15	SE 15	SE 15	SE 14	SE 14	—	—	—	E 13	—	W 13	WSW 13	WSW 12	W 12	W 12	W 12	W 11	SE 7	SE 7	SE 7
kJ	11	10	10	10	9	9	8	8	8	—	—	—	3	—	3	17	15	3	3	11	10	168	189	195
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	—	—	—	SE 16	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	S 18	SW 18	SW 18	W 12
kJ	—	—	—	10	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6	12	12	3
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	E 4	—	SE 7	SE 7	—	ESE 6
kJ	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	24	—	207	253	—	246
Nearest Offshore or Glassy	Buffalo Bay Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	Buffalo Bay 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	Buffalo Bay Wildside Garden Route	Doughnuts Backreef Eastern Cape (S)	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Wildside Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Wildside Garden Route	Buffalo Bay Wildside Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route	The Heads Garden Route
Rating (10 max)	5	5	5	4	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
Distance (km)	8	8	8	0	8	8	0	0	0	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	224	26	8	8	8	0	0
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route	Herolds Bay	Buffalo Bay	Buffalo Bay	Gerickes Point	Herolds Bay	Gerickes Point	Fish Boma	Fish Boma	Fish Boma	Santos Reef	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point		Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Goukamma River Mouth
Rating (10 max)	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4		4	4	4	4	4	4
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa	Dolphin Point Overberg	Buffalo Bay Garden Route	Super Tubes Eastern Cape (S)	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Magna Tubes Eastern Cape (S)	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Whispering Waves Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Bruces Beauties Eastern Cape (S)	Whispering Waves Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Periwinkles Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Doring Bay West Coast	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast
Rating (10 max)	5	5	5	5	6	5	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Header Global	Papatowai New Zealand	Trial Harbour Australia	Baler - Lindy's Point Philippines	Weld Road New Zealand	Boneyards South Africa	Barbel Point South Africa	Barbel Point South Africa	Barbel Point South Africa	Papatowai New Zealand	Kaifu Rivermouth Japan	Kaifu Rivermouth Japan	Kaifu Rivermouth Japan	Kaifu Rivermouth Japan	Frigates Fiji	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	Cow Bombie Australia	Kaifu Rivermouth Japan	Kaifu Rivermouth Japan	Kaifu Rivermouth Japan	Etang-Sale Reunion	Etang-Sale Reunion	Black Rocks Mauritius
Rating (10 max)	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	5	6	6	6	7	7	5	5	5	4	5	7	6	5	5	5	4

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

Latest Updates

Ben Mondy

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The Heads 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

How big are the waves at The Heads today (09 Jul):

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