Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, S swell with 8,969 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period with SW 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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Heads in the next 16 days are 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for The Heads over the next couple of weeks. It’s a mixed picture, but there’s one real gem if you’re willing to wait.
The water is sitting at 59°F, which is about 4°F colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a pretty noticeable chill, so you’ll be glad for a thick wetsuit.
The run starts off messy. Sunday, 30th August, has a 7ft SW swell with cross-on wind from the WSW at 6 mph, and the wave energy is moderate (1077). Not great. That sloppy theme hangs around through Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – the swell builds to 10ft by Wednesday morning, but the wind stays cross-on and the surface is choppy. The energy gets strong (3330 on Wednesday morning), but it’s not clean.
Thursday, 3rd September, is a write-off with strong winds and poor surf. Friday, 4th September, is huge – a 15ft SSE swell Friday morning (energy of 5599 – very strong) – but the wind is blowing cross-on at 16 mph. The break is way too big for safe paddling; it’s more of a kite-surfing kind of day.
It settles a bit on Saturday, 5th September. The swell drops to 7ft from the ESE, wind flips offshore from the SSE at 3 mph, and the energy is moderate (1358). A morning session might be decent, but it’s still flagged as marginal.
Now for the real standout. Mark your calendar for Thursday morning, 10th September. The forecast is calling for glassy conditions – wind is calm from the NNW at 0 mph – with a 5ft E swell running at 10 seconds. The combined energy is 693 (moderate), but that glassy surface will make the waves at The Heads look like a dream. The east swell direction suits this sandbar spot, and crowds are only “sometimes,” so you won’t be fighting for waves. This is the best session on offer, no question.
After that, the second week goes downhill again. There’s a big spike on Monday, 14th September, with an 12ft east swell (energy 4806), but that’s too big for comfortable paddling at this break.
So, the long story short: most of the next 16 days is average or worse, with that one standout Thursday morning. Keep your eyes on that.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 48mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Wed night, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 679 | 1187 | 892 | 663 | 573 | 784 | 1493 | 2135 | 3761 | 3323 | 2376 | 1569 | 874 | 925 | 8969 | 4634 | 2670 | 1456 | 853 | 555 | 2240 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:54PM1.90m | 5:06AM1.72m | 5:24PM1.85m | 5:38AM1.64m | 5:57PM1.76m | 6:13AM1.53m | 6:34PM1.62m | 6:54AM1.38m | 7:20PM1.45m | 7:52AM1.21m | 8:36PM1.27m | 9:53AM1.10m | 10:59PM1.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:40AM0.01m | 11:05PM0.06m | 11:09AM0.05m | 11:36PM0.12m | 11:40AM0.14m | 00:11AM0.21m | 12:14PM0.26m | 00:51AM0.35m | 12:56PM0.42m | 1:45AM0.51m | 1:58PM0.59m | 3:22AM0.65m | 4:09PM0.71m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 41 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 679 | 1187 | 892 | 663 | 573 | 784 | 1493 | 2135 | 3761 | 3323 | 2376 | 1569 | 874 | 925 | 233 | 754 | 2670 | 1456 | 853 | 555 | 2240 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | SSE 7 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | — | ESE 5 | SSW 10 | S 10 | — | WSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 331 | 41 | 21 | 37 | 15 | 33 | 32 | 19 | 17 | 7 | — | 37 | 218 | 158 | — | 211 | 804 | 294 | 301 | 263 | 255 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | E 11 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | 67 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 37 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 17 | 20 | — | — | 278 | 242 | 204 | 135 | 231 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | — | — | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | 8969 | 4634 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 390 | 0 | 85 | 7 | 236 | 586 | 839 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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