The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 63°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing out of the ordinary.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Wednesday the 15th is pretty marginal. There’s a small 3ft easterly swell in the morning, but it’s weak with that combined energy only at (483), and the wind is cross-shore. Not worth getting wet for. The afternoon jumps up to a 7ft SW swell, but the wind is still cross-shore and the quality is just not there.

Thursday the 16th is where things start to get interesting. The morning brings a solid 8ft SW groundswell, with a long period of 14 seconds. The wind is glassy, absolutely clean. The combined energy is pumping hard at (2706). This is excellent surf, but at 8ft, this is only for the experienced crew. The afternoon holds at 8ft and stays glassy. Friday the 17th morning is more of the same quality with a 8ft SW swell and glassy conditions, but the wind switches to cross-shore by the afternoon and the quality drops.

The weekend is a letdown. Saturday the 18th drops right off to a tiny 3ft swell, and the wind is cross-shore. Not much to get excited about. Sunday the 19th sees a return of a 7ft SW swell, but the wind is cross-shore again, keeping it in the marginal category.

Now, here’s the standout. Monday the 20th morning is a beauty. The swell is 6ft from the SW, period 10 seconds, and the wind is glassy. The combined energy is a healthy (811). This is expect very good surf conditions, and it’s a much more manageable size for a wider range of surfers. That’s your best bet in the first week.

Tuesday the 21st through Thursday the 24th gets huge. The swell skyrockets to 13ft, 16ft, and 12ft with very long periods up to 15 seconds. The combined energy readings are massive (10270, 10619). But the forecast says it’s too big for this break. The 22nd afternoon does drop back to a clean 7ft with glassy winds, a solid window for the experts.

The 25th and 26th drop back to the 6ft to 7ft range, with periods around 12-14 seconds. The morning of the 25th is glassy and clean, another good option for experienced surfers. The 27th Monday morning is a great call with a 5ft SW swell, glassy conditions, and a combined energy of (1210), making it expect very good surf. The afternoon has a very long period 16-second SSW swell at 4ft, also glassy, but a bit small.

The last few days of the month, the 28th through the 30th, see a return of bigger 10ft to 7ft swells, but the winds are mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, and the quality drops off. The 30th brings in a moderate breeze, making it a bit choppy.

So, to wrap it up: the clear standout is Thursday the 16th morning at The Heads. That’s an 8ft SW groundswell with glassy winds and a long period, but it’s for experts only. The best all-rounder for the slightly smaller crowd is Monday the 20th morning – 6ft, glassy, and clean. After that, things get messy or too big, with a few clean windows for the experienced on the 22nd afternoon and the 25th morning.

Rusty out.

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