Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 4,102 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) 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+) | 11PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at The Heads.
We start off slow. Wednesday the 19th has a solid 8ft SW swell, but the cross-on wind and weak combined energy (1995) make it a messy one. Not worth paddling out. The first few days are pretty average – Thursday and Friday stay marginal with the wind all over the place.
If you’ve got some experience, mark Thursday the 20th morning. The swell jumps to 12ft from the SSW, with a combined energy of 4109 – that’s proper power. It’s too big for beginners, and the cross-on wind from the WSW isn’t perfect, but for the crew who can handle it, there’s some serious grunt.
We hit a flat patch from Saturday the 22nd through Monday the 24th. Swell drops to around 5ft, weak energy in the 800s, and the wind stays cross or cross-on. Nothing to get excited about.
Now, the real standout – Wednesday the 26th morning. Glassy conditions, wind from the NNE at 0 mph, and a 7ft SSW groundswell with a long 15-second period. Combined energy is strong at 2411. That’s clean, lined-up surf for experienced surfers. The Heads is a sandbar, and with that long period it might straighten out a bit, but with no wind and a solid SW groundswell, it’s the best we’ve got. The afternoon stays clean with a light NE cross-off.
After that, it’s a mixed bag again. The swell drops under 7ft from the 27th, and the wind swings around – mostly cross or cross-on. Nothing special. The end of August and start of September shows some promise. On Monday the 31st, we’ve got an 8ft SW swell with a very long 16-second period, and combined energy of 3704. That’s a proper groundswell, but the wind is fresh from the east at 18 mph, making it lumpy. Not ideal.
Then, Tuesday the 1st of September morning – another gem. Glassy again, with a light ENE breeze at 3 mph, 6ft SW swell, 14-second period, and combined energy of 1803. Clean and well-shaped for experienced surfers. That’s your second real highlight.
Keep an eye on Thursday the 3rd of September – the swell absolutely hammers in at 16ft from the SW, with energy over 8000. That’s huge. But it’s too big for The Heads, even for experts, and the cross-on wind won’t help. That’s more of a beast than a surf session.
Water temp is sitting at 57°F – that’s 6°F colder than normal for this time of year, so it’s very unusual. You’ll want a thick suit.
Overall, the best bet is Wednesday the 26th morning for the glassy, clean conditions, and Tuesday the 1st September morning as a close second. The rest of the period is mostly marginal, with a few big but windy days in between.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1978 | 1693 | 1500 | 4102 | 3193 | 1914 | 1250 | 486 | 821 | 488 | 480 | 2071 | 2698 | 2044 | 674 | 908 | 780 | 725 | 1626 | 1584 | 1021 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 2:39PM1.49m | 2:44AM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:30AM0.35m | 8:44PM0.38m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 1978 | 1693 | 1500 | 4102 | 3193 | 1914 | 1250 | 486 | 821 | 488 | 480 | 2071 | 2698 | 2044 | 674 | 908 | 780 | 725 | 1626 | 1584 | 970 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SW 11 | ESE 5 | SSW 14 | E 7 | SW 16 | — | — | WSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | — | S 20 | SSW 17 |
| kJ | 17 | 16 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 403 | 37 | 210 | 4 | 41 | — | — | 500 | 335 | 392 | 529 | — | 194 | 1021 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | — | E 8 | — | — | SSW 14 | — | SSW 15 | — | — | — | ESE 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | — | 5 | — | — | 330 | — | 610 | — | — | — | 58 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | — | WSW 6 | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | E 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | 164 | 333 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 121 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 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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