Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 31 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 3,484 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period with SSW 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 (Jul 30) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at The Heads over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of surf coming through. It kicks off on Thursday, July 30th, with a clean 6 ft SSW groundswell. The period is a juicy 13 seconds, so there’s plenty of energy in the water (combined energy of 1202). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the ENE, making for some tidy, lined-up waves. Water temp is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no worries there.
The standout look is definitely the combination of Saturday morning, August 1st, and Sunday morning, August 2nd. Saturday morning sees a 8 ft ESE swell with a clean 9-second period and a light offshore NNE breeze. The energy is healthy (1074). It’s finable and fun. But Sunday morning, August 2nd, is the real gem. The wind goes dead flat, glassy as a mirror, with a 6 ft ESE swell. The surface will be absolute perfection. This is the pick of the first week.
Now, the middle of the week gets a bit messy with onshore winds and shorter period SW swell, but hold onto your board. The real heavy stuff arrives on Wednesday, August 5th, and into the following weekend. A massive 10 ft SW groundswell with a very long 16-second period shows up Wednesday morning. That’s some serious energy (2383). This is expert territory though, as it’s well over 8 ft. The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it won’t be perfect, but the power is undeniable.
The best of the second week shapes up Friday, August 7th, and Saturday, August 8th. Friday morning is the highlight: a 10 ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and glassy conditions. The energy is massive (3514). This is big, clean, powerful surf for experienced surfers only. Saturday morning drops to a still-strong 7 ft SW swell with a clean cross-offshore breeze. It’s still heavy, but a bit more manageable.
The period around Monday, August 10th, is a write-off. A 23 ft ESE swell with a full-on 31 mph gale has the place blown to bits. Do not even think about it. That’s kite-surfing weather, not paddle surfing.
After that gale, things settle down. Tuesday, August 11th, morning offers a clean 8 ft ESE swell with a light offshore breeze, which is a solid option for those who can handle it. Then Wednesday, August 12th, morning brings a gorgeous 6 ft long-period SW groundswell (16 seconds!) with a clean offshore wind. That’s a beautiful, powerful wave, but the long period means it might be a bit too straight for the beach break – it’ll be better on the points or reefs if you know where to find them.
The final days taper off to smaller, cleaner conditions, but nothing to write home about.
So, to sum it up: the best windows are Sunday morning, August 2nd, for the glassy, fun-size ESE swell, and Friday morning, August 7th, for the big, clean, expert-level SW groundswell. Get on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 932 | 841 | 690 | 473 | 693 | 980 | 865 | 796 | 708 | 567 | 552 | 622 | 609 | 613 | 584 | 551 | 437 | 297 | 2242 | 3424 | 2747 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:28PM1.71m | 4:33AM1.68m | 4:56PM1.75m | 5:01AM1.68m | 5:24PM1.77m | 5:31AM1.64m | 5:54PM1.75m | 6:03AM1.58m | 6:27PM1.70m | 6:39AM1.49m | 7:04PM1.62m | 7:21AM1.37m | 7:51PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:15AM0.12m | 10:32PM0.22m | 10:42AM0.08m | 11:02PM0.19m | 11:09AM0.08m | 11:32PM0.20m | 11:37AM0.11m | 00:05AM0.23m | 12:08PM0.18m | 00:40AM0.29m | 12:42PM0.27m | 1:23AM0.37m | 1:24PM0.39m | 2:18AM0.48m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 9 | SW 12 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 932 | 841 | 690 | 466 | 374 | 666 | 865 | 796 | 708 | 567 | 552 | 622 | 492 | 410 | 584 | 551 | 437 | 297 | 2242 | 3424 | 2747 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | — | ESE 6 | SW 13 | — | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 270 | — | 165 | 473 | — | 203 | 125 | 125 | 277 | 340 | 424 | 278 | 609 | 613 | 349 | 294 | 196 | 176 | 141 | 79 | 79 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 9 | — | — | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 14 | S 14 | WSW 4 | S 12 | — | SW 16 | SW 15 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 171 | — | — | 44 | 84 | 103 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 264 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 11 | 106 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 6 | — | — | ESE 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | WSW 4 | — | — | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 249 | — | — | 693 | 980 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 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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