The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 10 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
15.1°C
2.2° 

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 10 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 4,027 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s 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 10) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 14s 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 8AM. 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+)11PM (Thu 10th Sep)6ft (1.9m) 14s
Best Surf 8AM (Sun 13th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Most Powerful 8AM (Wed 16th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into the outlook for The Heads. It’s a sandbar break, fairly consistent, and it looks like we’ve got a real mixed bag of a forecast ahead. The water is running a frigid 59° compared to what’s normal for this time of year, which is a big anomaly of 4° colder, so it’s much colder than usual – don’t forget the thick rubber.

The first window of real interest is Thursday the 10th of September, but it’s a bit of a tease. We’ve got a solid 7 ft of SW groundswell pushing through with a 15-second period, which is a proper long-period groundswell. The energy is very strong at 1845, but the wind is a cross-on 6 mph, and the conditions are described as marginal. The water temp is way colder than normal, so it’s a tough ask for a score.

Friday the 11th is mushy, with the swell dropping to 5 ft and the period shortening to 13 seconds. The wind is light cross-on but the energy is moderate at 910. Not great.

Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are a write-off for quality. The swell tries to build again, but we’re dealing with messy cross-shore winds and lumpy chop. The energy on Saturday afternoon is strong at 2339, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore. No good for clean lines.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Look to Monday the 14th of September morning. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the NW at 6 mph, and the sea state is clean. The swell is 8 ft from the ESE with a 10-second period, which isn’t the longest, but with the combined energy still strong at 1471, there will be some punchy waves. This is for experienced surfers only, as it’s over 7 ft. The wind is clean, but the crowd profile says “sometimes” so you might have a few for company.

Tuesday the 15th of September morning is the standout. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the W, and the conditions are described as “glassy.” The swell is a cleaner 5 ft from the E with a 11-second period, offering moderate energy at 756. This is the kind of morning where you paddle out in the calm and get the best of the bank. The smaller size and glassy conditions make it the best overall option for the intermediate surfer.

The middle of the week, Wednesday the 16th, has a monster 10 ft SW swell piling in with a 15-second period, producing massive energy at 4394. The Wednesday morning light rain and onshore wind make it a mess, but Wednesday afternoon cleans up. The wind goes glassy, the swell drops to 7 ft but still has a 14-second period and strong energy at 2366. This is a serious session for the experts only, and the glassy conditions will make those big sets look perfect.

After that, things get marginal again. The wind picks up from the east from Thursday the 17th through the weekend, keeping the sea choppy. The swell stays in the 5 ft to 7 ft range, but the cross-shore and cross-on winds ruin the shape. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during these days.

Into the second week, the pattern is more of the same. The swell drops off and the wind stays on the east-southeast, keeping the ocean messy. The morning of Friday the 18th of September has a clean light cross-offshore breeze with 5 ft of 12-second SW swell, but the energy is moderate at 829. It’s worth a look if you’re desperate.

The best call in the long range is Thursday the 24th of September afternoon. The wind goes glassy from the WSW, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break at 12 ft from the ESE. The energy is strong at 1875. The same goes for Friday the 25th of September morning with 12 ft waves and a cross-shore 12 mph wind. This is big, unruly, and only for the brave or the heavily equipped. It’s more of a novelty than a clean session.

So, overall, the standout sessions are Tuesday the 15th morning for the glassy, clean conditions and Monday the 14th morning for the clean, punchy swell. The big Wednesday afternoon session is a major one for experts.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
1
3
3
3
1
!
!
4
4
1
3
3
2
3
2
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.8
SW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.4
SW
12
1.3
SW
12
1.4
SW
14
1.9
SW
16
2.2
SSW
16
4
ESE
10
4
ESE
10
3
ESE
10
2.4
ESE
10
2.1
ESE
10
1.7
E
10
1.5
E
11
0.8
SSW
18
3
SW
10
3
SW
15
1.8
SW
14
1.7
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1162
784
580
478
825
1869
2441
2592
2602
1699
1156
880
596
533
413
1983
3532
1203
969
Wind (km/h)
10
W
5
S
10
ESE
5
NNE
5
E
15
ESE
25
E
25
E
25
E
10
NE
10
WNW
10
SW
10
N
0
W
5
E
15
WSW
10
SW
10
SE
5
NE
Wind State
cross
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
off
glassy
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
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
9:34PM0.02m
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
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
light rain
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:28
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:15
6:15
6:15
6:16
6:17
6:17
6:19
 mm
1
1
4
1
4
5
3
3
1
Temp °C
16
18
18
16
18
21
17
18
19
21
22
17
16
21
21
16
15
15
14
Feels °C
16
18
17
17
19
20
15
16
17
20
22
16
16
20
19
15
12
13
12
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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