The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
16.1°C
1.2° 

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 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 5,183 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s 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 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sat 5th Sep)6ft (1.9m) 7s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 7th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 15s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 6th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, gather round. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us at The Heads.

It’s a bit of a slow cooker to start. The surf is on the small side and the winds are mostly cross-shore, which is making things lumpy and a bit of a battle. That energy reading is weak, sitting around 1769, so don’t expect any magic on Friday. It’s more of a “check the tide and maybe have a paddle” kind of day. The water is sitting at 61°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be wanting the boots.

Saturday and Sunday look pretty average too. The swell is inconsistent and those moderate cross-shore breezes are going to keep a chop on the face. The energy is still weak, dipping as low as 611 on Saturday afternoon. Not great. But then, hold on. Monday morning, September 7th, is where things start to wake up.

We’ve got a clean 7ft SSW groundswell rolling in, with a 14-second period, and the wind is dead glassy with the ENE. This is the standout of the first week. The energy jumps to a solid 2940, and it’s going to be clean. This is a proper session for those who know what they're doing. The morning is the window, as the afternoon gets a touch of cross-on wind. Tuesday morning is also worth a mention with a glassy 5ft, but it’s shorter period and a bit less energy.

After that, it goes a bit quiet again through Wednesday and Thursday. The swell drops out, and the winds are all over the shop. A bit of cross-on, some onshore – it's just messy. The energy drops right down. It’s a waiting game.

The next real window in this run is Saturday afternoon, September 12th. The wind swings to the ENE and goes cross-offshore, cleaning up a solid 8ft of SSW swell. That energy reading is up there at 3803. It’s another one that’s going to be better for the more experienced surfer, especially with that size.

The following week is a mixed bag. A lot of onshore and cross-shore winds messing things up. Then we get to Thursday, September 17th. The morning looks fantastic for a select crew. The energy jumps to a big 5221 with a 8ft WSW groundswell and light offshore winds from the NNW. That’s a serious standout for the experienced crew. But the afternoon? That’s when the swell really starts to push. It jumps to 12ft, and then Friday the 18th sees it peaking at a massive 13ft with an energy of 8261. This is too big for The Heads. Way too big. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the winds are turning onshore and choppy. The late-week energy is huge, but it’s a beast, not a playground.

So, to keep it simple: the two standout, high-quality windows are Monday the 7th and Thursday the 17th in the morning. The 7th is your clean, manageable groundswell. The 17th is bigger, more powerful, and a real test for the experienced surfer. Everything else is just picking through the pieces.

Alright, stay stoked.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the ENE by Sun night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
2
1
0
2
2
2
3
4
3
4
3
2
2
1
1
2
1
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SE
9
2.2
ESE
8
2.1
ESE
8
1.5
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
10
0.9
SSW
22
2.5
SSW
19
3
SSW
17
2.4
SSW
16
2
SSW
14
1.9
SSW
14
1.8
ESE
9
1.5
E
9
1.1
SW
12
1
E
9
0.6
SW
14
0.9
SW
13
0.8
SW
12
1.8
SW
16
2.2
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
971
635
522
467
370
893
4455
5183
2682
1647
1280
540
380
314
171
160
290
178
1707
1956
2247
Wind (km/h)
25
ESE
25
ESE
15
ENE
20
E
25
ESE
20
E
25
E
30
E
20
ENE
5
ENE
5
SE
5
NW
5
SE
10
ESE
10
NW
15
WSW
10
WSW
5
WNW
15
SW
5
SSW
5
W
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross
High Tide
8:36PM1.27m
9:53AM1.10m
10:59PM1.21m
12:15PM1.21m
00:43AM1.33m
1:22PM1.41m
1:40AM1.49m
2:07PM1.61m
2:23AM1.63m
2:45PM1.78m
3:00AM1.73m
3:19PM1.90m
3:34AM1.79m
Low Tide
1:58PM0.59m
3:22AM0.65m
4:09PM0.71m
5:49AM0.61m
6:29PM0.60m
7:09AM0.45m
7:36PM0.42m
7:57AM0.28m
8:22PM0.24m
8:34AM0.13m
9:00PM0.11m
9:08AM0.03m
9:34PM0.02m
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:35
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:10
6:10
6:12
6:13
6:14
6:14
6:15
 mm
Temp °C
16
16
14
16
17
15
18
18
15
23
25
22
27
27
22
23
24
17
18
18
15
Feels °C
10
10
9
12
13
12
14
13
11
23
25
22
27
26
21
22
23
17
16
18
15
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for The Heads:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Heads surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest