Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 4,915 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m 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 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 11AM. 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+) | 2AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty.
Right, the 16-day forecast at The Heads takes a while to get going – first few days are a bit of a tease. The real highlight sits in the first week, and there’s a later one that looks pretty tasty but it’s a fair way out. The water’s running at 58°F, which is a huge 5°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s seriously cold, so bundle up.
The first decent chance comes Friday, September 11th in the morning. Swell’s a clean 5ft from the SW with a 13-second period – solid, longer-period stuff that’ll have some shape. The wind is glassy, which makes it clean as a whistle. Not a full-blown standout, but a solid session.
For the best waves on offer, you experienced crew need to look at Monday, September 14th morning. Swell is 8ft from the ESE with a 10-second period – that’s big enough to be expert-only. And the wind is glassy again, giving you excellent conditions for those who can handle it. Crowds are only sometimes there, so you might have a few out, but nothing crazy.
The long-range gem is Saturday, September 19th morning – seven days out, so not set in stone. Swell’s 5ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell that’ll wrap in. Wind is offshore from the N, light and clean. Should be some lined-up, quality waves. With that long period, sets will be fewer but the paddle out is easier. Crowds are possible, so keep an eye out.
After the 19th, it goes quiet or messy – from the 22nd onward it’s all cross-shore wind and short-period junk, so don’t bother with the second week.
Watch out: on Sunday, September 13th afternoon, the swell hits 12ft from the ESE – way too big for here. Same on Wednesday, September 16th with 12ft from the SW – too big. Tuesday, September 22nd brings 10ft from the E with a weak 8-second period – just lumpy, crumbly junk. Combined energy hits 2738 (moderate-strong) but the wind’s cross-shore, so it’s all chop. The 20th and 21st see energy at 3473 and 3768 – strong – but again, onshore or cross wind ruins it.
Bottom line: if you want clean, shaped-up waves, go for the morning of Monday, September 14th if you’re expert level, or the morning of Saturday, September 19th for a cleaner, smaller option. The rest is mostly a scratch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the SW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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 16 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SSW 19 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 9 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1057 | 1784 | 1162 | 784 | 580 | 427 | 736 | 1672 | 2262 | 1576 | 2496 | 2138 | 1186 | 973 | 734 | 466 | 701 | 1611 | 4915 | 1441 | 1155 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:19PM1.90m | 3:34AM1.79m | 3:51PM1.96m | 4:06AM1.79m | 4:21PM1.95m | 4:36AM1.75m | 4:50PM1.88m | 5:04AM1.68m | 5:18PM1.77m | 5:32AM1.58m | 5:45PM1.63m | 5:58AM1.45m | 6:11PM1.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:08AM0.03m | 9:34PM0.02m | 9:40AM-0.02m | 10:05PM-0.01m | 10:09AM-0.01m | 10:35PM0.01m | 10:38AM0.04m | 11:02PM0.08m | 11:05AM0.12m | 11:29PM0.18m | 11:31AM0.24m | 11:54PM0.31m | 11:57AM0.38m | 00:21AM0.45m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | |  |  | | |  |  | | |
 | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | 3 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 16 | E 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 1057 | 1784 | 1162 | 784 | 580 | 427 | 736 | 1672 | 2262 | 1576 | 1170 | 2138 | 1186 | 973 | 734 | 466 | 279 | 1611 | 106 | 1363 | 1155 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | E 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 7 | S 7 | E 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 9 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 9 |
| kJ | 455 | 53 | 35 | 82 | 97 | 8 | 77 | — | — | — | — | 651 | 411 | 373 | 478 | 384 | 349 | 396 | 104 | 73 | 215 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SSE 9 | — | E 11 | — | — | SE 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | SSW 21 | SSW 19 | E 11 | — | — | E 10 |
| kJ | 56 | 8 | — | 37 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 259 | 45 | 701 | 181 | — | — | 50 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | SW 15 | SSW 9 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 162 | 273 | 367 | 963 | 1256 | 1247 | 2496 | — | — | 129 | — | — | — | — | 4915 | 1441 | 758 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 431 | 8 | 8 | 1199 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 343 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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