The Heads Surf Forecast

/ Garden Route (22 surf breaks) /

South Africa (276 surf breaks) / Lat Long: (34.07° S 23.06° E)

Surf Forecasts:

The Heads surfForecast / Garden Route / South Africa

48hr Weather and Surf, issued 7 pm Saturday 23 May 2026 SAST

Forecast 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 slightly cooler than normal)

How big are the waves at The Heads today?

The current surf forecast for The Heads at 10PM is: 1.2m 12s primary swell from a Southwest direction and 0.9m 9s secondary swell from a Southwest direction (forecast issued at 07:00pm May 23). The wind direction is predicted to be glassy.

Time (SAST) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (23 May)	-	-
Afternoon (23 May)	4ft (1.2m)	13s
Evening (23 May)	4.5ft (1.3m)	13s

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

Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent

	Short Range Forecast Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.
	Sat 23			Sunday 24								Monday 25								Tue 26
	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	11 AM	2 PM
Rating (10 max)	2	3	2	2	2	3	3	2	2	2	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SW 13	SW 13	SW 12	SW 12	SW 14	SW 14	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 12
Wave Graph
kJ	480	643	386	277	251	696	570	637	437	386	437	911	1363	1504	1902	2391	2544	2326	2006	1643	1417	1127	917	1025
Wind (km/h)	WSW	N	N	NNE	NNE	NNE	SE	SE	ESE	NE	NE	ENE	ENE	NE	ESE	S	SW	NNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WSW	WSW
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy	glassy	off	glassy	glassy	glassy	cross-off	glassy	cross-on	cross	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	glassy	glassy	glassy	off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross	cross-on
High Tide			10:00PM1.37m				10:35AM1.17m					11:15PM1.39m				11:51AM1.21m				00:14AM1.45m				12:47PM1.28m
Low Tide	3:18PM0.53m				4:36AM0.59m				4:38PM0.56m					5:52AM0.54m				5:48PM0.54m				6:48AM0.46m


	—	—	—	—	7:18	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:18	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:20	—	—	—
	5:30	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:29	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:29	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:28
mm	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Temp °C	17	16	16	15	15	15	19	20	18	16	16	16	16	17	21	22	19	18	18	16	15	15	18	18
Feels °C	17	15	16	15	14	14	19	19	17	15	15	15	15	16	21	22	19	17	16	14	13	13	16	16
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SW 13	SW 13	SW 12	SW 12	SW 12	SW 14	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 14	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 13	SW 12
kJ	480	643	386	277	190	696	570	637	437	386	437	911	1363	1504	1902	2391	2544	2326	2006	1643	1417	1127	917	1025
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SSW 6	E 11	SW 9	SW 8	SW 8	SSE 12	SSW 18	SSE 12	SSW 16	SSW 16	SSW 16	SSE 11	SSE 11	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 10	SE 10	SE 10	ESE 5	ESE 6	E 6	E 7	E 7
kJ	28	58	126	109	90	56	120	52	175	175	232	66	65	63	68	39	38	47	47	9	11	20	21	14
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	E 11	S 6	E 11	SW 15	SW 14	SSW 18	SSE 12	E 11	SSE 11	SSE 11	SSE 11	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	E 10	E 10	SE 10	SE 10	SE 10	SE 9	SSE 9
kJ	59	6	58	220	251	123	55	36	69	68	68	18	18	18	17	33	33	8	8	24	24	23	14	8
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	ESE 4	—	E 3	E 3	E 4	E 4	—	—	—	W 4	WSW 4	WSW 4	SW 5	WSW 6
kJ	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	3	6	10	8	—	—	—	12	14	26	35	63
Nearest Offshore or Glassy	The Heads 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	The Heads 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	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
Rating (10 max)	2	3	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	2	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	4
Distance (km)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	7
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Gerickes Point	Goukamma River Mouth	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	Goukamma River Mouth	Goukamma River Mouth	Goukamma River Mouth	Goukamma River Mouth	Keurbooms	Buffalo Bay
Rating (10 max)	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Koeel Bay Overberg	Paranoia Overberg	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Hout Bay Cape Town	Hout Bay Cape Town	Vleesbaai Overberg	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Doring Bay West Coast	Cape St Martin West Coast
Rating (10 max)	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Header Global	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Cannibal Bay New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Etang-Sale Reunion	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Aileen's Ireland	Arrawarra Australia	Ahijedero Mexico	Ahijedero Mexico	Ahijedero Mexico	Boneyards South Africa	Albatross South Africa	Albatross South Africa	Dolphin Point Australia	Papatowai New Zealand	Lincoln City Nelscott Reef United States	Lincoln City Nelscott Reef United States
Rating (10 max)	7	6	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	5	4	4	5	7	9	9

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 Surf Forecast

The Heads surfForecast / Garden Route / South Africa

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