Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 3,777 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Heads in the next 16 days are 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for The Heads.
We’ve got a bit of a rough start ahead. For the first few days, the wind is just not playing ball, and what swell is on offer is pretty average. The real standout window here is a narrow one, so you’ve got to be sharp.
The Heads is a sandbar setup that’s fairly exposed, picking up swell best from the SSE. The first decent opportunity doesn’t really show up until Thursday the 5th of September, but even then, it’s a bit of a write-off due to bumpy conditions. Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th see a big pulse of long-period SSW groundswell rolling in, with the combined energy hitting a massive 5145 (strong to very strong wave energy), but the onshore and cross-shore winds are fresh, making it lumpy and messy. This is only going to be appealing for experienced surfers at best, as the swell hangs around 8ft, and the period over 15 seconds will make it straighten out on a sandbar – better suited to a reef or point.
The real gem is Monday morning, the 9th of September. The wind goes completely glassy out of the NNW at 0 mph. The swell drops back to a manageable 6ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, packing moderate energy (2248). Clean conditions, well-shaped waves, and you won’t be fighting the wind. That’s your window. The water temp is sitting around 60°, which is about 3° cooler than normal for this time of year, so a bit nippy, but nothing a good wetsuit won't handle.
After Monday, the window closes again pretty quickly. We get a little glimpse of clean glass on Tuesday morning the 10th with 4ft from the east, but that swell is short period (10 seconds) and weak (748), so it’s a fun small wave option at best.
Looking further out, the second week is a real mixed bag. The wind is mostly onshore or cross, and while there are pulses of swell, the quality drops off hard. By the 14th, there’s some SSW swell again around 6ft but the wind is side-off or cross-on, so it’s not clean. The period around the 16th looks promising for energy, but it’s all cross-onshore wind again. Nothing to get excited about.
To be honest, that Monday the 9th is your best bet. Set the alarm. The rest of the run you’ll be fighting the conditions. Crowds are possible here sometimes, but on a clean Monday in September, you might get a decent session without too much hassle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | ESE 10 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2340 | 1697 | 811 | 2112 | 2396 | 884 | 759 | 756 | 408 | 458 | 431 | 2469 | 3777 | 1743 | 1126 | 1019 | 700 | 339 | 272 | 154 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:34PM1.62m | 6:54AM1.38m | 7:20PM1.45m | 7:52AM1.21m | 8:36PM1.27m | 9:53AM1.10m | 10:59PM1.21m | 12:15PM1.21m | 00:43AM1.33m | 1:22PM1.41m | 1:40AM1.49m | 2:07PM1.61m | 2:23AM1.63m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:51AM0.35m | 12:56PM0.42m | 1:45AM0.51m | 1:58PM0.59m | 3:22AM0.65m | 4:09PM0.71m | 5:49AM0.61m | 6:29PM0.60m | 7:09AM0.45m | 7:36PM0.42m | 7:57AM0.28m | 8:22PM0.24m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — |
mm | — | — | 5 | 22 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 25 | 24 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 26 | 23 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 2340 | 1697 | 811 | 353 | 205 | 731 | 196 | 113 | 408 | 326 | 281 | 2469 | 3777 | 1353 | 1064 | 799 | 509 | 339 | 239 | 154 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SSE 8 | S 10 | E 9 | — | SW 11 | SSW 9 | S 13 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 10 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 6 | 63 | 186 | 6 | — | 126 | 203 | 128 | 29 | 28 | 273 | 148 | 26 | 1743 | 1126 | 1019 | 700 | 324 | 272 | 119 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | S 15 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | — | S 13 | WSW 10 | S 13 | S 9 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | 4 | 87 | 76 | — | 14 | 20 | 29 | 43 | 50 | 58 | 50 | 71 | 85 | 71 | 66 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 59 | 2112 | 2396 | 884 | 759 | 756 | 405 | 458 | 431 | 736 | 1299 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 26 | 0 | 7 | 516 | 1120 | 1663 | 3469 | 26 | 26 | 423 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 7 |
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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