
Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 5,611 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 12s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. 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 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
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 down the line for The Heads.
The swell is solid for the first week, but the wind is a bit of a prickly customer. We’ve got a decent run of clean windows though, especially for the more experienced crew. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Thursday morning the 6th kicks off with a 10ft SW groundswell (13-second period) and a cross-shore westerly. It’s a bit messy with rain showers and some cross-chop, so it’s not looking pristine. The combined energy is strong at 3445. Certainly not a beginner’s day with size over 5ft. By Thursday afternoon, the wind swings to a light cross-onshore out of the SW, and the swell holds at 10ft SW, but it’s still a bit rough.
Friday morning the 7th is the first real standout. We’ve got an 8ft SW groundswell (14 seconds) and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ENE. The water will be clean, and the energy is still pumping at 2602. This is excellent for experienced surfers, but that size is pushing past 8ft, so it’s expert territory. The afternoon turns more cross-shore and loses some of that shine.
Saturday the 8th drops a touch to 8ft SW, but the wind is cross-shore all day, so it’s average at best. Sunday the 9th gets ugly – strong onshore southerly winds, up to 16 mph, and the swell jumps to 12ft SSW. That’s a write-off, and the combined energy is a thumping 3784. The setup there looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Monday the 10th through Tuesday the 11th: Monday has a smaller 5ft SW swell but cross-on winds, so it’s a bit bumpy. Tuesday morning the 11th is a gem though – 7ft SSW groundswell (12 seconds), light cross-offshore ENE breeze, and clean. The energy is moderate at 1590. That’s a good one for the experienced crew.
Wednesday the 12th morning is another highlight. A 5ft SSW groundswell with a very long 20-second period, light cross-offshore ENE wind, and a glassy surface. The energy is strong at 3325. That long period will make the waves super clean and powerful, perfect for a sandbar if it lines up, but beach breaks can get a bit straight with that kind of period. Still, a beauty of a morning.
Thursday the 13th is a ripper. Offshore NNE wind in the morning, 7ft SW groundswell (17 seconds), and clean. Afternoon holds with a 7ft SW and cross-offshore ENE breeze. Both sessions are clean and excellent for experienced surfers. The combined energy is 3178 and 2866, so there’s plenty of grunt.
Friday the 14th eases to 4ft SW (14 seconds) with a clean offshore N wind in the morning. The afternoon goes glassy with a light SE breeze. That’s a lovely small wave day, but not a standout for size.
The second week sees a real drop-off. Saturday the 15th to Tuesday the 19th is mostly marginal, with cross-shore or onshore winds, and swell sizes between 4ft and 7ft. The energy dips into the 700-1500 range. Wednesday the 19th is a bit of a nothing burger.
Thursday the 20th morning has a glassy 5ft SW swell, but it’s small and nothing special.
Now, Friday the 21st of August is a big one. The morning has an 8ft SSW groundswell (14 seconds) with a light cross-shore ESE breeze, and the energy is strong at 3001. The afternoon though – look out. An 12ft SSW groundswell (15 seconds) with a cross-shore ESE breeze, and the combined energy is a massive 5325. That’s huge, but the file says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. It’s a monster, for experts only, and even then, it might be too much. This is a promising but less certain long-range standout – one to watch but not get too attached to.
So, the best on offer? Friday morning the 7th, Tuesday morning the 11th, Wednesday morning the 12th, and Thursday the 13th. All for experienced surfers, all clean. The Heads is a sandbar that’s fairly consistent, and crowds are possible, so keep an eye out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 23 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3357 | 2483 | 2113 | 2557 | 3116 | 3009 | 1991 | 1831 | 5487 | 3031 | 3732 | 2055 | 655 | 1309 | 2418 | 1454 | 789 | 764 | 1748 | 1836 | 1885 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:19AM1.23m | 9:00PM1.37m | 9:56AM1.14m | 10:48PM1.31m | 12:01PM1.18m | 00:33AM1.38m | 1:23PM1.34m | 1:42AM1.52m | 2:17PM1.54m | 2:33AM1.66m | 3:01PM1.71m | 3:16AM1.75m | 3:41PM1.84m | 3:55AM1.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:22PM0.53m | 3:41AM0.58m | 3:58PM0.63m | 5:38AM0.57m | 6:03PM0.60m | 7:09AM0.44m | 7:29PM0.46m | 8:06AM0.28m | 8:26PM0.29m | 8:51AM0.13m | 9:12PM0.15m | 9:30AM0.03m | 9:53PM0.06m | ||||||||
7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 13 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | ESE 9 | SW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | ESE 8 | SSW 18 | ESE 9 |
3357 | 2483 | 2113 | 2557 | 3116 | 3009 | 1991 | 1831 | 4562 | 3031 | 25 | 2055 | 596 | 1309 | 2418 | 1454 | 789 | 379 | 441 | 1836 | 741 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | SE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | — | ESE 8 | S 11 | SSW 23 | SSW 20 | SW 10 | SW 17 |
88 | 65 | 48 | 45 | — | 51 | 63 | 96 | 52 | 24 | 27 | 8 | 655 | 165 | — | 41 | 9 | 764 | 1748 | 132 | 1885 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | S 26 | S 10 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SSW 21 |
— | — | — | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 75 | 56 | — | — | 13 | 28 | 286 | 50 | 649 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | ESE 5 | — | WSW 4 | SW 6 | SW 14 | — | SSW 12 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 |
— | — | — | — | 98 | — | 31 | 108 | 5487 | — | 3732 | 437 | 221 | 206 | 228 | 95 | 476 | 526 | 850 | 547 | 1146 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 88 | 586 | 3464 | 8 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 390 | 0 | 0 | 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.











