The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 26 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
17.2° C
0.1° 

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 26 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 5,644 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 16s. 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 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 11PM. 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+)11AM (Sun 26th Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 12s
Best Surf11PM (Mon 27th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 16s
Most Powerful11PM (Mon 27th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

This forecast kicks off with a solid pulse of swell and glassy conditions. We’re looking at a Sunday morning session that’s the real standout. The Heads is firing early with a clean 7ft SW swell, glassy wind, and the water’s sitting at 63°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. The combined energy is strong at 1489, so there’s plenty of push. This one is for the experienced crew though – that 7ft is right on the edge of being too much for beginners. The wave period is 12 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell with good shape and long lines.

Sunday afternoon holds up nicely too, with 6ft SW swell and still glassy. It’s a touch smaller but still very good.

Monday morning gets a bit tricky. The swell jumps to 7ft from the SW, but the wind goes cross-shore from the W at 9 mph, putting a bit of a chop on the face. The energy is pumping at 1964, but the conditions are marginal. Monday afternoon gets even bigger with an 8ft SSW groundswell at a very long 17-second period, and the energy rockets up to 4029. That’s a powerful, massive swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a bit messy. That 8ft is expert territory only.

Tuesday sees the swell staying solid around 8ft from the SSW, but with a moderate cross-shore breeze from the ESE at 12 mph, the quality is knocked down. It’s going to be a choppy, wind-affected mess, not really worth paddling out for.

Wednesday morning brings a nice reset. The swell drops to a cleaner 6ft from the SW, and the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the ENE at 6 mph. The energy is still moderate at 1506, and the conditions are clean. This is a solid, fun option for experienced surfers again.

Thursday looks good with a drop in size. Morning has 5ft SSW swell and glassy conditions, and the afternoon bumps up slightly to 5ft SW, still glassy. The energy is moderate (940-1071), and the quality is very good. This is a nice window for intermediate surfers to get out.

Friday is a mixed bag. The morning has 4ft SW swell with a cross-shore wind, so it’s only marginal. The afternoon gets a weird 8ft ESE wind swell with a short 7-second period, which is just ugly and messy. The combined energy is only 951 because the period is so short. That’s more of a kite-surfing wind swell than a paddle wave.

Saturday, August 1st, is a good one. The morning has a solid 8ft E swell with a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong at 1581, and the waves look clean. That’s a best bet for the weekend for experienced surfers. The afternoon is a bit smaller at 7ft ESE, still clean.

Sunday, August 2nd, the morning offers 7ft ESE swell with light cross-offshore wind and clean conditions. Energy is moderate at 1073. The afternoon stays the same height but the wind goes cross-shore, so it gets a bit bumpy.

From Monday, August 3rd through to Thursday, August 8th, the surf is mostly small and marginal. Swell heights bounce between 4ft and 7ft, but the winds are often onshore or cross-onshore, and the quality is poor. Friday, August 8th, is a write-off with poor conditions.

There’s a bit of a gap in quality here, but then we get a nice surprise for Monday, August 10th. The morning has a 6ft SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore. The energy is moderate at 1993, and the conditions are clean. That long period from the SSW will wrap nicely into The Heads, offering long, well-shaped waves. This is a promising long-range call, but keep an eye on it as it gets closer.

Overall, the clear standout is Sunday morning, July 26th, with the glassy 7ft SW swell. The next best windows are Wednesday morning, July 29th, and Saturday morning, August 1st. The long-range Monday, August 10th, also looks like a potential gem.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
1
3
3
0
2
2
3
4
2
3
3
3
3
2
1
3
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
SW
12
1.8
SW
12
1.9
SW
13
2.2
SW
12
2.5
SSW
17
3
SSW
16
2.4
SSW
15
2.4
SSW
14
2.1
SW
14
1.8
SW
13
1.7
SSW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.5
SSW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.3
SW
12
2.5
ESE
7
2.1
ESE
8
2.4
E
8
2.1
ESE
9
2.2
ESE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1094
897
1185
1486
3991
3684
2378
2281
1570
1110
946
841
772
828
834
546
571
522
800
651
753
Wind (km/h)
5
NE
5
SE
15
W
15
W
10
WSW
20
SE
20
ESE
20
ESE
15
ENE
10
ENE
15
ENE
10
N
5
W
5
SSW
5
NNE
15
E
20
E
15
NE
10
NE
15
E
10
NNE
Wind State
glassy
glassy
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
glassy
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
2:24PM1.32m
2:30AM1.44m
2:59PM1.44m
3:04AM1.53m
3:30PM1.55m
3:35AM1.61m
3:59PM1.64m
4:04AM1.66m
4:28PM1.71m
4:33AM1.68m
4:56PM1.75m
5:01AM1.68m
5:24PM1.77m
Low Tide
8:16AM0.47m
8:26PM0.52m
8:50AM0.36m
9:01PM0.42m
9:20AM0.26m
9:32PM0.33m
9:48AM0.18m
10:03PM0.26m
10:15AM0.12m
10:32PM0.22m
10:42AM0.08m
11:02PM0.19m
11:09AM0.08m
11:32PM0.20m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:20
7:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:43
5:44
5:44
5:45
5:45
5:45
5:46
 mm
10
Temp °C
21
23
18
16
17
15
16
16
14
16
19
15
17
18
14
16
19
15
19
23
18
Feels °C
19
21
16
14
15
13
12
12
11
13
16
12
15
16
13
13
15
11
16
19
14
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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