The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
14.0° C
3.2° 

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 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 4,737 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 4.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Tue 18th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Best Surf11AM (Thu 20th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug)13ft (4.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for The Heads over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a sketchy start. The first few days are a bit of a write-off – Tuesday through Wednesday we’ve got some solid swell in the 7 ft to 8 ft range from the SW, but it’s coming in with a cross or cross-on wind, leaving it choppy and messy. The water is a nippy 57°, which is a whopping 6° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick steamer if you’re even thinking about paddling out. The energy is strong, with readings around 1493 to 2008, but it’s just not clean. The forecast scores reflect that – it’s marginal at best.

Now, let’s talk about the real standout. Thursday morning, August 20th is the one to circle. The Heads will be firing with a solid 12 ft SSW swell, and the wind is forecast to be glassy – dead calm. That’s the kind of morning that gets the heart racing. The combined energy is a massive 4109, meaning there’s a ton of power in the water. However, this is a big boy swell. At 12 ft, this is expert territory only. If you’re not comfortable in heavy waves, sit this one out and watch from the bank. The wind is perfect, but the size is no joke.

After that, Thursday afternoon drops to 10 ft but the wind swings cross-on, so it’ll get a bit lumpy. Friday sees the swell drop back to 7 ft with a cross-on wind, and it stays pretty average.

Saturday the 22nd is a mixed bag. The morning is small and weak at 5 ft, not worth paddling for. But Saturday afternoon? The wind cranks up to 19 mph from the WSW, and the swell jumps back to 12 ft. The energy is a strong 2315, but it’s a bumpy, lumpy mess with that fresh cross-shore wind. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

Sunday morning, August 23rd is another big one: 12 ft SW swell with glassy wind again. The energy is even higher at 3741. Again, this is for experts only. If you’re experienced and want a clean, powerful wave, this is your window. The swell is coming from a strong direction and the period of 13 seconds means it’ll have some serious push.

The middle of the week (Monday 24th) sees the swell drop to a more manageable 5 ft to 6 ft, but the wind is still cross-on, so the quality isn’t there.

Looking further out, Tuesday morning, August 25th brings a 8 ft SW swell with a 14-second period and an offshore wind. That’s a nice combo – clean, long-period groundswell. The energy is 2486. This one is promising.

Then we get to Wednesday morning, August 26th. The swell is 7 ft from the ESE, but the period is a short 8 seconds. However, the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the ENE, and the report says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is still a strong 1805. It’s a different direction, so it might offer a bit of a different bank, but the short period means it won’t have the same punch as the SW groundswells.

The following week is a bit of a mixed bag. Sunday morning, August 30th has a notable 8 ft SSW swell with a very long 17-second period and offshore wind – energy is a massive 4011. That’s a deep-water groundswell, perfect for a point or reef, but at a beach break like The Heads, that long period can make the waves break a bit too straight and fat. Still, clean and big.

The very end of the forecast window, Monday morning, September 1st, is looking glassy again with a 8 ft SW swell and a 15-second period, and the energy is 3592. That’s another expert-level morning with perfect conditions.

Overall, the best surfing on offer is Thursday morning, August 20th and Sunday morning, August 23rd for the big, clean, glassy power. The later dates around August 30th and September 1st are promising but a bit further out – keep an eye on the forecasts. There’s a lot of big swell in this window, so if you’re not an expert, you’ll be waiting for the smaller, cleaner windows that are harder to find.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night).

Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
4
3
3
4
!
3
4
2
2
3
1
!
!
!
3
3
2
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.1
SW
13
2.4
SW
12
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
2.4
SW
12
2.3
SW
12
3.5
SSW
13
3
SW
13
2.4
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
1.6
SSW
12
1.4
SSW
11
1.4
SW
11
3.5
SW
10
4
SSW
12
3.5
SW
13
3
SW
12
2.3
SW
11
1.9
SW
11
1.5
SSW
10
1.8
SW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1438
1777
2381
1978
1693
1500
4102
3145
1710
1182
755
436
471
2310
4737
3741
2219
1256
806
464
738
Wind (km/h)
15
WSW
5
S
10
ENE
10
WSW
15
WSW
10
NW
5
SW
10
SSE
10
ENE
10
ESE
10
ESE
10
WNW
15
WSW
30
WSW
10
WNW
5
WSW
5
SE
5
WNW
10
SW
5
SSW
0
NNE
Wind State
cross
on
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
6:58PM1.48m
7:10AM1.26m
7:31PM1.31m
7:49AM1.12m
8:20PM1.16m
9:23AM1.00m
10:47PM1.07m
12:37PM1.04m
00:51AM1.16m
1:37PM1.19m
1:41AM1.29m
2:11PM1.34m
2:15AM1.43m
Low Tide
12:38PM0.38m
1:11AM0.49m
1:08PM0.53m
1:49AM0.63m
1:47PM0.68m
2:58AM0.75m
3:17PM0.82m
6:04AM0.77m
6:39PM0.79m
7:27AM0.63m
7:40PM0.65m
8:02AM0.49m
8:15PM0.51m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:03
7:01
7:00
6:58
6:58
6:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:59
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:02
6:02
 mm
Temp °C
16
15
13
16
17
14
15
16
13
18
19
15
19
17
15
15
15
12
15
15
11
Feels °C
14
13
12
15
15
12
14
14
12
17
17
14
16
10
12
14
13
11
13
13
11
  • 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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