The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab yourself a coffee, let's have a look at what's coming up.

Alright, so we've got a solid run of swell on the cards for The Heads, a sandbar setup that's fairly consistent and fairly exposed. The initial kick on Thursday morning is a bit messy with a cross-shore wind, but it's packing some serious energy (3573) and a 10ft SSW swell. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Thursday itself is a write-off for clean surfing, but hang tight. Friday the 10th is where it starts to get interesting. The swell is still a solid 10ft from the SSW, and we get *glass* conditions all day. That's a proper treat. The energy is still massive (3130 in the morning). This is a big, powerful swell, and with a 13-second period, it's got some proper grunt. This is a standout for experienced surfers only – the size and power will be pushing it for anyone not comfortable in overhead waves.

Saturday morning sees the swell dropping a touch to 8ft, but the wind goes cross-on, which bumps the quality down a notch. The energy is still strong (2032), but it won't be as clean as Friday.

Sunday and Monday are a bit of a letdown as the swell backs off and the wind gets messy. The energy drops into the hundreds (825 down to 688). It's a bit of a flat spell through the middle of the week. Nothing worth getting excited about on Tuesday or Wednesday as the swell bottoms out around 3ft, even if the wind is light.

Then, Thursday the 16th rolls around and we see a new pulse of energy. A 8ft SW swell with a 14-second period rolls in, and the morning is glassy. The energy is right back up (2127). This is another excellent window for the more experienced crew. The winds stay light through the afternoon, but it goes cross-shore, so get it early.

The weekend of the 18th and 19th is a mixed bag. Saturday morning looks clean with a cross-off wind and a 6ft ESE swell, but the period is short (8 seconds), so it won't have much push. The energy is moderate (696). Sunday afternoon sees a bigger 8ft WSW swell kick in, but the wind is up to 12 mph, creating a cross-chop, so it'll be a bit of a battle.

Now, the real standout for the entire forecast window is Monday the 20th. We've got a 10ft SSW swell, a 12-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-off in the morning, going glassy in the afternoon. The energy is massive (2579). This is a proper, clean, powerful swell. For the experienced surfer, this is the pick of the bunch.

Now, Tuesday the 21st... the forecast is showing a 12ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and an energy reading of 6232. The wind is totally calm. But, and this is a big but, the guidance pretty much says it's going to be too big for The Heads. The sheer size and power of that groundswell will make it incredibly heavy, probably closing out most of the sandbar. For the absolute elite charging it, maybe, but for the rest of us, it's a day to watch from the beach. The following days through to the 24th keep a solid 8ft to 8ft SW swell running, with clean mornings, so the run of quality surf through the end of the week looks promising, but less certain that far out.

So, if you're an experienced surfer, get in the water on Friday the 10th and lock in Monday the 20th. Those are your two best windows. The rest of the time, you'll be picking through the leftovers or waiting for a clean patch.

- Rusty

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