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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 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
17.8° C
(Which is slightly cooler than normal)How big are the waves at The Heads today?
The current surf forecast for The Heads at 6PM is: 0.7m 16s primary swell from a Southwest direction and 0.6m 11s secondary swell from a Southwest direction, 1.4m 6s secondary swell from a West-southwest direction (forecast issued at 01:00pm May 22). The wind direction is predicted to be cross-shore.
| Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (22 May) | 1.5ft (0.5m) | 18s |
| 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 night. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fri 22 | Saturday 23 | Sunday 24 | Mon 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 |    |    |    |    | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | |
178 | 200 | 268 | 330 | 322 | 294 | 309 | 529 | 514 | 503 | 480 | 643 | 386 | 277 | 251 | 696 | 570 | 570 | 437 | 386 | 386 | 949 | 1344 | 1504 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | |
High Tide | 8:37PM1.39m | 9:05AM1.20m | 10:00PM1.37m | 10:35AM1.17m | 11:15PM1.39m | |||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 2:04PM0.46m | 3:06AM0.58m | 3:18PM0.53m | 4:36AM0.59m | 4:38PM0.56m | 5:52AM0.54m | ||||||||||||||||||
 |  | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:18 | — |
 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | — | — | 5:29 |
— | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | SW 16 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 8 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
 kJ | 54 | 52 | 268 | 75 | 50 | 54 | 309 | 529 | 514 | 503 | 480 | 643 | 386 | 277 | 90 | 696 | 570 | 570 | 437 | 386 | 386 | 949 | 1344 | 1504 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | E 11 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSE 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 80 | 101 | 99 | 330 | 322 | 294 | 67 | 53 | 37 | 25 | 25 | 58 | 126 | 126 | 190 | 123 | 120 | 52 | 175 | 175 | 232 | 66 | 65 | 63 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | E 7 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | E 8 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 11 | S 6 | E 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | E 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 178 | 200 | 39 | 99 | 94 | 96 | 90 | 19 | 43 | 64 | 59 | 10 | 58 | 220 | 251 | 56 | 55 | 36 | 69 | 68 | 68 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 85 | 111 | 136 | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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