
Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with 6,776 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 16s. 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 3.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 8PM. 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+) | 11AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
It starts off with some solid, powerful swell, but the winds aren’t playing ball for a few days. Then things ease off, and we get a really nice window of clean, glassy conditions – that’s where the real magic sits. The second week looks promising but a bit more uncertain, with some serious size on the table.
First up, Monday the 27th, we’ve got a solid 8ft SW groundswell rolling in at The Heads (sandbar). The period is a healthy 12 seconds, and with a light, cross-off W wind at 9 mph, it’s clean. The combined energy is strong at 2125. That’s excellent for experienced surfers, but for the average punter, that’s a bit big and powerful. Monday afternoon turns nasty though – that swell jumps to a chunky 10ft, but the wind swings SE onshore at 12 mph, making it cross-on and choppy. Not one for the afternoon session.
Tuesday the 28th is a write-off. We’re still carrying a 8ft SSW swell, but that easterly wind is blowing cross-shore at 12 mph, creating a messy cross-chop. No go.
Wednesday the 29th morning looks better. The swell drops to 6ft from the SW, period 13 seconds, and a light ENE cross-off breeze keeps it clean. Combined energy is 1598 – still a decent push. This is good for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy again.
Now, Thursday the 30th is where it starts to get tasty. Morning sees the swell down to 6ft, but the wind is dead calm – glassy as. Period is 13 seconds, direction is straight SSW, and the energy is 1143. That’s a proper clean, lined-up wave for those who know what they’re doing. Friday the 31st is smaller, around 4ft, with a light cross breeze. It’s okay, but nothing special.
Then we have a bit of a lull. The end of July and start of August is small until Saturday the 1st of August when the wind goes light offshore from the ENE. Swell is only 6ft, but it’s clean. The real standout, though, is Sunday the 2nd. Glassy conditions, a solid 7ft SSW swell with a very long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 3148. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’s glassy. For an experienced surfer, that’s the session of the forecast period. The Heads will be handling that size well, and the direction is bang on for the optimum SSE direction. That long period will give plenty of push and long gaps.
Monday the 3rd still holds with a 7ft SW swell, glassy in the morning. Another good one for the experienced crew. Tuesday the 4th drops off with onshore wind.
Second week: Wednesday the 5th has a 3ft SSW groundswell with a 19-second period. That’s really long. It’ll be clean and glassy, but for a sandbar, that super-long period can make the waves close out a bit. Thursday the 6th is more promising – 8ft SW at 15 seconds. That’s proper size again, and glassy in the morning. Friday the 7th is similar, 8ft SW, glassy start. The weekend of the 8th and 9th looks solid – 10ft SW swell on Saturday morning, and 7ft on Sunday, both glassy and clean in the morning.
There’s a big spike on Sunday the 9th afternoon and Monday the 10th. The swell jumps to 12ft and 13ft. That’s extreme. For The Heads, it might be too big. Combined energy is off the charts: 6128 on Monday morning. That’s for experts only, if it’s even rideable.
Water temperature? No anomaly noted, so it’s about average for this time of year.
So, my pick of the lot: The Heads on Sunday, August 2nd morning and afternoon. That 7ft SSW groundswell, 17-second period, glassy winds, and the energy is huge. It’s clean, powerful, and consistent. Expert surfers will be all over it. If you can get out early Thursday the 30th, that’s also a gem.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun night, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 7 | E 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1185 | 1655 | 4812 | 5674 | 2378 | 2281 | 1570 | 1182 | 1110 | 1061 | 946 | 841 | 757 | 504 | 574 | 781 | 534 | 477 | 484 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 2:30AM1.44m | 2:59PM1.44m | 3:04AM1.53m | 3:30PM1.55m | 3:35AM1.61m | 3:59PM1.64m | 4:04AM1.66m | 4:28PM1.71m | 4:33AM1.68m | 4:56PM1.75m | 5:01AM1.68m | 5:24PM1.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:26PM0.52m | 8:50AM0.36m | 9:01PM0.42m | 9:20AM0.26m | 9:32PM0.33m | 9:48AM0.18m | 10:03PM0.26m | 10:15AM0.12m | 10:32PM0.22m | 10:42AM0.08m | 11:02PM0.19m | 11:09AM0.08m | 11:32PM0.20m | ||||||
— | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
5:43 | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 |
1185 | 1655 | 4812 | 5674 | 2378 | 2281 | 1570 | 1182 | 1110 | 1061 | 946 | 841 | 552 | 504 | 319 | 475 | 534 | 477 | 484 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | — | S 8 | S 8 | — | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | — | SW 13 | ESE 9 | SSW 15 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 |
21 | 463 | 832 | — | 172 | 115 | — | 170 | — | 173 | 197 | — | 757 | 265 | 246 | 431 | 355 | 298 | 315 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 6 | — | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | S 22 |
17 | 7 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 64 | — | 47 | 41 | 75 | 335 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | — | — | E 8 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | — | ESE 9 | E 6 | — | ESE 7 | E 8 | — | — | — |
11 | — | — | 5 | 396 | 176 | 222 | 232 | 295 | 229 | — | 337 | 182 | — | 574 | 781 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 0 | 483 | 423 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










