The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, I’ve had a good look at the charts for The Heads. This is a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.

The action starts this Thursday the 3rd. There’s a bit of a tease to kick things off. Thursday morning, the swell is a clean 5ft from the SW, with a 12-second period and glassy conditions – that’s about as good as it gets for a paddle out. The water’s sitting at 60°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. That morning window is the standout, with combined wave energy at a solid 1018 (moderate). It’s the pick of the first week by a long shot. But don't get too comfortable, because by Thursday afternoon it gets blown to bits by a strong SSE wind, and the swell jumps to a messy 13ft, which is one for the experts only, and even then it’s ugly. That Thursday morning session is your only real shot for a few days.

After that, Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are a write-off with onshore winds and cross-chop. The swell drops right down. There’s a big gap of poor conditions until Monday the 7th. That Monday morning is a beauty, though. Clean, glassy, with a 6ft SW swell rolling in at a nice 14-second period. Combined swell energy is strong at 2154. That’s another absolute gem for experienced surfers. Tuesday the 8th morning is also good – smaller at 4ft, but glassy again. After that, a long run of marginal or poor conditions stretches from Wednesday the 9th all the way through to Saturday the 12th. Small, weak swell with cross-shore winds. Nothing doing, really.

Now, looking a bit further out, things get interesting again. The week of the 13th. Sunday the 13th has some size, but it’s messy. Monday the 14th has very big SSW swell, 12ft, with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross and it’s honestly just too big for this break – a kite surfer’s dream, but a tow-only situation for normal paddling. The real standout of the second week is Tuesday the 15th afternoon. It’s glassy again with a clean 5ft SW swell, 12-second period, and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That is the one to circle on the calendar.

Then things stay okay for a while. Wednesday the 16th has a 6ft SW swell but it’s a bit bumpy. The absolute final highlight is Friday the 18th morning. A 8ft SW swell, 14-second period, with light offshore WNW wind. That’s clean and powerful, excellent for the experienced crew. The afternoon gets ruined by onshore winds, but the morning is a cracker.

So, if you’re chasing the best of the best, wake up early on Thursday the 3rd morning, Monday the 7th morning, and Tuesday the 15th afternoon. Friday the 18th morning is also a solid bet. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might want to get in early for those glassy windows. The swell direction from the SW to SSW is right in the pocket for The Heads, which is a sandbar setup, so the shape should be good when the winds cooperate.

Rusty.

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