The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
16.2° C
1.1° 

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


The Heads surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 18s period, SSW swell with 2,519 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period with E swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Heads this week:

The surf forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 3.0m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 1.8m and 17s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Heads in the next 16 days are 2.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 13th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 13th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Most Powerful 2PM (Thu 13th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for The Heads.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things build into some proper sessions. The first real standout is Thursday the 13th. That afternoon, the swell pushes to 6 ft from the SW with a solid 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell, stacking up with plenty of energy (combined energy of 3499). Wind is a light ENE breeze, cross-off, keeping the face clean. This is for experienced surfers only; it’s got some push.

Friday the 14th keeps the good vibes rolling. Morning has a clean 5 ft SW swell at 16 seconds, with a gentle N offshore breeze. By afternoon it goes glassy – 4 ft from the SW at 15 seconds, and the wind drops to nothing. That afternoon window looks like the pick of the week for a smooth, lined-up wave. Water temp is about average for the time of year.

Saturday the 15th through Monday the 17th sees the swell drop right back, with cross-shore and cross-on winds making it a bit messy. Not worth paddling out for.

Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th have some size but the wind is cross or cross-on, and the period drops. The Wednesday morning has 7 ft from the SW at 11 seconds, but that cross-on wind from the WSW kills it.

Thursday the 20th is a write-off – strong cross-shore wind at 16 mph and poor surf conditions.

We then hit a lull until Sunday the 23rd. That morning shows some promise: 7 ft from the SW at 13 seconds, with a light W cross-shore. It’s still just marginal, but the energy is there (combined energy of 1482). By afternoon, the wind swings S and goes onshore, so the morning is the window.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th have size – Tuesday morning hits 10 ft from the E, but it’s short period at 9 seconds and cross-on. That’s more of a wall of whitewater than a wave. Not ideal for paddling, might be a kite day.

The real late standout lands on Friday the 28th. The morning is glassy, 7 ft from the SW at a very long 16 seconds, with combined energy of 2138. That’s a big, clean groundswell – perfect for the point and reef setups around here. But it’s only for experienced crew; that size and period will be powerful.

All up, the best bets are Thursday afternoon the 13th and Friday afternoon the 14th for clean, quality waves, and Friday morning the 28th for a late push of glassy groundswell. That last one is two weeks out, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
4
4
4
4
3
3
1
2
2
1
2
3
2
1
3
2
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
E
9
1.5
SSW
19
1.9
SW
17
1.6
SW
16
1.4
SW
16
1.3
SW
15
1.2
SW
15
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
1.1
SW
13
1.1
SW
15
1.3
SW
15
1.5
SW
14
1.8
SW
13
1.4
SW
13
1.5
SW
13
1.4
SW
12
1.3
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2106
1694
2238
1314
954
777
606
471
465
364
412
544
685
816
1067
668
744
609
503
Wind (km/h)
15
ENE
20
NNE
10
ENE
15
NNE
15
N
5
NNE
10
WNW
10
SE
10
ESE
10
NNE
10
W
10
WSW
10
NNW
5
SSE
10
ESE
10
NW
15
WSW
15
WSW
15
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
3:55AM1.80m
4:18PM1.92m
4:31AM1.80m
4:52PM1.93m
5:05AM1.75m
5:26PM1.88m
5:37AM1.66m
5:57PM1.78m
6:08AM1.54m
6:27PM1.64m
6:38AM1.41m
6:58PM1.48m
Low Tide
9:53PM0.06m
10:05AM-0.03m
10:31PM0.03m
10:39AM-0.04m
11:06PM0.05m
11:10AM0.01m
11:38PM0.12m
11:40AM0.10m
00:10AM0.22m
12:09PM0.23m
00:40AM0.35m
12:38PM0.38m
1:11AM0.49m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:07
7:07
7:05
7:05
7:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:54
5:55
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:58
5:59
 mm
2
Temp °C
15
22
26
23
24
27
18
19
20
24
25
20
15
18
19
14
17
18
15
Feels °C
10
18
22
19
21
24
16
18
18
21
23
18
14
17
17
13
15
16
12
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the The Heads Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for The Heads provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Heads can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Heads surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Heads) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Heads may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Are you planning a holiday in Garden Route? If you are looking for accommodation near The Heads, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Garden Route, consider staying in Knysna which is 4 km (2 miles) away. Other places in and around Garden Route where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Plettenberg Bay which is 28 km (17 miles) away, George, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn.

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