The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 07 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
16.5° C
0.6° 

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 7 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,247 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s 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 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 5s 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Fri 7th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 15s
Best Surf11PM (Sat 8th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 14s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sun 9th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag, so you gotta pick your moments. The swell’s gonna pulse around, but the winds and conditions are the real story here. We’ve got a bit of a rough patch early, then things clean up for a while, and then there’s a big, powerful pulse right at the end that’s worth keeping an eye on.

The early part of the run is pretty rough. The swell is there, but it’s messy. Saturday the 8th is a write-off with that cross-onshore wind chopping things up. Sunday the 9th is even worse, with a serious 10ft SSW swell and howling winds – that’s just a stormy mess, not for paddling. The Heads is a sandbar, so with that kind of size and wind, it’s going to be all over the place. Honestly, that’s more of a kite-surfing day than a surfing one. The start of the new week isn't much better; Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are still dealing with junky conditions and inconsistent energy.

But then, things start to turn. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th are where you want to be. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft to 6ft from the SSW, and the wind goes light and cross-offshore. That’s the kind of wind that will keep The Heads (Manawatū) clean. The combined energy is still moderate, around 2186 to 3546, but the quality is there. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and lined up. The period is long, up to 20 seconds on Wednesday, which means real groundswell energy. That long period can make a sandbar a bit straight, but with the offshore wind, it should still offer some decent walls.

The following weekend softens up a bit. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th have some nice, clean conditions with the swell dropping off. It’s not a standout, but it’s surfable. The water temp is sitting at 62°F with a slight negative anomaly, so about normal for the time of year. Nothing crazy.

The next real highlight rolls around on Monday the 17th. The wind goes completely glassy in the morning, with a 6ft SW swell. That’s perfect. The energy is moderate at 1355, but the total lack of wind will make it super user-friendly and clean. Tuesday the 18th is a bit choppier, but Wednesday the 19th has another glassy morning with a 5ft SW swell. These are your session windows.

Now, for the one to watch. Friday the 21st, the forecast is showing a big pulse of 13ft from the WSW. That’s a serious amount of water, and the combined energy is massive at 7483. That is a lot of power. The catch is, that size is too big for The Heads. It’s going to be closing out and dangerous. The conditions might be favorable tide and wind-wise, but it's just too much for this break. That’s for experts only, and even then, it’s going to be a paddle battle. The day after, Saturday the 22nd, the swell backs down a bit to 8ft, and the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. That could be interesting, but it’s still pushing the limits of what’s considered good here.

So, the standout windows are Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th for that combination of size, clean wind, and good energy. Then Monday the 17th is the other pick for a glassy, user-friendly session. The big pulse on the 21st is for the brave and the stupid, but it’s not what most of us are looking for.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Fri night, fresh winds from the SSW by Sun afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
2
2
!
0
0
0
1
2
3
2
2
4
4
2
4
4
3
4
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
SW
15
2.5
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
2.5
SW
14
3.5
SW
14
3
SW
13
3
SSW
12
3
SSW
12
3
SSW
11
2.2
S
10
3
SSW
13
3
S
12
1.7
SSW
12
0.8
SSW
23
1.4
SSW
20
1.6
SSW
19
1.7
SSW
17
1.5
SSW
19
1.9
SW
17
1.6
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3116
3009
2020
2205
4247
3357
2875
2321
1850
911
3293
2391
850
687
1560
1662
1817
1694
2238
1210
Wind (km/h)
15
E
10
NW
15
W
15
WSW
20
SW
20
WSW
30
SSW
25
SW
20
SSW
10
S
10
ESE
20
E
20
E
15
ENE
15
E
25
E
10
NE
15
ENE
20
ENE
15
NE
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
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
4:18PM1.92m
4:31AM1.80m
Low Tide
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
10:05AM-0.03m
10:31PM0.03m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
mod rain
mod rain
mod rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:13
7:13
7:11
7:11
7:09
7:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:54
5:55
 mm
6
7
8
10
4
3
4
Temp °C
20
16
14
16
14
12
13
12
12
13
13
14
15
13
15
17
14
16
19
16
Feels °C
17
14
11
13
12
7
7
7
8
9
10
10
10
9
11
11
10
13
14
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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