The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's break down what's on the menu for The Heads over the next couple of weeks.

First thing, the water's sitting at 60°, which is a bit colder than we'd normally expect for this time of year. You'll want a good wetsuit.

The opening day is Wednesday, August 26th. We've got a solid 8ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 16-second period. That's a lot of energy pushing through (3303). The problem is a stiff 19 mph easterly cross-breeze, which is going to make things lumpy and messy. It's a big swell, but the conditions are pretty average. Not the day to get excited.

Thursday morning the 27th looks a little better. The swell drops to 7ft from the SSW, period still a solid 12 seconds. The wind eases right off to only 3 mph from the east, but it's still a cross-shore. It's cleaner, but not perfect. The energy is still moderate (1656). Thursday afternoon the wind swings more cross-onshore, dropping the quality further.

Now, Friday morning the 28th of August is the standout in the first week. The swell eases to a clean 5ft from the south on an 11-second period. The wind is a dead calm, glassy 3 mph from the southwest. That's the magic word: glassy. The combined energy is still a moderate 833. For a sandbar at The Heads, this is about as good as it gets for a clean, fun-sized wave. The conditions are listed as "very good surf conditions", so this is the session to aim for.

The rest of the weekend and into Monday is a bit of a write-off. The swell drops right off, and the wind gets messy and cross-onshore. Saturday the 29th only has a weak 3ft swell with a moderate breeze ruining the shape. By Sunday the 30th, the wind picks up even more, making for a choppy mess.

We hit a bit of a gap here. The surf quality is poor through the end of August and into the start of September.

Then things get interesting, but not for everyone. On Tuesday, September 1st, we see a big build. The swell jumps to 12ft from the SW with a 13-second period on Tuesday afternoon. The combined energy is massive (3513). The wind is light, but it's a cross-on breeze. The catch is that the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is expert territory only. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at this size.

Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are a mess. By Thursday the 3rd, we get a massive 15ft to 25ft swell with a strong 25 mph onshore gale and heavy rain. The combined energy hits 5147 and then a massive 18208. That's not for surfing; the beach will be a washing machine.

The following Friday, September 4th, is another potential standout for the brave. The swell is still huge at 20ft from the SSE with a 13-second period and a massive 12786 of energy. However, the wind swings to a light offshore from the northwest, making the conditions clean. Again, it's way too big for most, but for the big-wave crew, this is the window. Saturday the 5th is similar, with a 16ft swell and clean offshore winds, but size is still extreme.

After that, the swell slowly drops into the second week, but the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping the quality marginal. By the 8th and 9th of September, the swell is tiny, and the energy is weak (153 to 531). The 10th of September has a clean 2ft swell with a light cross-offshore breeze, but it's small and weak.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet for a fun, clean session is Friday morning, August 28th. Glassy conditions and a waist-to-chest high south swell. For the big-wave chargers, Friday, September 4th, offers a massive, clean swell, but only for experts.

Rusty.

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