The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 01 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
14.5°C
2.8° 

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 1 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 4,643 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Tue 1st Sep)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Best Surf11PM (Tue 1st Sep)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 6th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for The Heads. Let’s break it down.

Right off the bat, we’re in a bit of a rough patch. The water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is a whopping 5°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a serious chill, so don’t even think about ditching the thick rubber.

The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday through Friday are all marginal or poor, with cross-onshore winds, messy conditions, and a strong breeze that’s only good for keeping the kitesurfers happy. The combined energy is weak to moderate (2414 on Tuesday), but the quality is just not there. It’s a gap of about four days of nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, the first real glimmer comes on Monday, September 7th. The morning session is the standout of the whole run. We’ve got a clean 6ft SSW groundswell, with a nice 14-second period, and the wind is offshore from the North, glassing it up. The combined energy is solid (1842), and this is a good one for experienced surfers. The Heads is a sandbar, so with that long period, keep an eye on it – it might be a bit straight, but it’ll have some good shape.

The next week is a mixed bag, with a lot of cross-shore chop and moderate energy. The 12th of September, Saturday, has a small window of hope. The morning is 5ft from the East with a clean offshore NNW wind, and the afternoon turns glassy with a 4ft East swell. The energy is low (476-565), so it’s more of a longboard or funboard session, but clean.

Then, hold onto your board. Monday, September 14th and Tuesday, September 15th are the real godsends. Monday morning is glassy, with a 4ft SW groundswell (1055 energy) and the wind is dead calm. The description says “very good surf conditions.” Tuesday morning is even better: 8ft from the East, glassy, and the combined energy hits 1488. This is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That east swell is a bit short period (8 seconds), so it’ll be a bit more walled up, but clean and punchy. The Tuesday afternoon turns onshore and messy, so get it early.

The final days on the 16th have some hefty SSW groundswell (17-second period, 3177 energy), but the cross-onshore wind will make it lumpy. It’s a lot of water moving, but not the best quality.

So, the real standouts are Monday morning, September 7th for the clean, long-period groundswell, and Tuesday morning, September 15th for the excellent, glassy, bigger east swell. Don’t sleep on that Monday morning, that’s the one.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 44mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the SSE by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
3
3
4
2
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
1
2
3
4
4
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)
2.5
SW
13
3
SW
14
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
13
2.3
SW
13
1.6
SW
12
3.5
S
9
3.5
SSE
9
2.3
SE
9
2
ESE
8
1.7
ESE
8
1.3
SSW
11
1.3
SSW
10
1.3
SSW
10
1.8
SSW
18
3
SSW
17
2
SSW
15
1.9
SSW
14
1.8
SSW
13
1.7
SSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2381
3523
2824
2340
1791
811
1820
2132
769
551
366
366
338
346
2219
4643
1739
1393
1127
834
Wind (km/h)
5
SSW
10
NW
5
SSE
10
ESE
5
ENE
5
WSW
40
SSE
30
SE
25
ESE
25
ESE
15
ENE
20
E
25
ESE
20
E
20
E
30
E
10
NE
5
N
5
SE
10
NW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
5:57PM1.76m
6:13AM1.53m
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
Low Tide
00:11AM0.21m
12:14PM0.26m
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
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
heavy rain
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:45
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:08
6:08
6:09
6:10
6:10
6:12
6:13
 mm
4
23
16
1
Temp °C
15
12
16
17
14
15
15
16
16
16
14
17
17
16
18
20
16
25
27
22
Feels °C
13
11
15
15
14
15
13
10
10
11
10
13
12
12
14
15
13
25
27
23
  • 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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