Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 5 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 4,074 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 6 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period with ESE 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 Monday (Jul 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 10s. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 11PM. 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+) | 2AM (Mon 6th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Hey, Rusty here. The Heads is lookin’ like a mixed bag over the next sixteen days – some real gems hidden in there, but also plenty of days you’ll wanna sit out. We’ve got a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent, and when the stars align it can dish up some proper fun. Keep an eye on the tide, though – some sessions are gonna be marginal because of that.
Startin’ Monday the 6th, we’ve got a 5.9 ft SW swell with strong wave energy (1113), but the wind is light cross from the east and the surf is questionable – tide might mess with it. Not worth rushin’ out. Tuesday the 7th morning stays similar, but Tuesday afternoon turns glassy with a 5.9 ft SW swell (1037) – clean surf, but still just a 3/10 quality overall. Decent for a quick session.
Wednesday the 8th sees the swell bumpin’ up to 6.9 ft SW and then 8.2 ft by afternoon, but the wind gets messy – cross-on and choppy. The energy jumps to 4627, but it’s not user-friendly. Thursday and Friday the 9th and 10th hold a solid 9.8 ft SSW swell with strong energy (over 3000) but mostly cross or cross-on winds. That’s expert territory – way too big for beginners, and even intermediates will struggle.
Now here’s the standout of the first week – Saturday morning the 11th. We’ve got a clean 7.9 ft SSW swell (1776) with light cross-off wind from the WNW. The conditions are excellent for experienced surfers, and the waves should have good shape with a 12-second period. Crowds can happen here sometimes, but with that size and quality, it’s worth paddlin’ out early.
Saturday afternoon drops to 5.9 ft but the wind turns cross-on and choppy – not ideal. Sunday the 12th brings rain and a mix of swells, with a short 8-second period on a 6.6 ft SE swell in the afternoon – don’t bother.
Monday the 13th is a write-off – strong winds, poor surf. Tuesday the 14th offers glassy conditions with small 3.9 ft SSW swell (601) – good for a log or a grovel session, but no power. Wednesday the 15th gets ugly again: 9.8 ft to 11.5 ft SW swell with fresh cross-winds and lumpy chop. Too big for this break and blown out.
Thursday the 16th continues the big swell theme – 9.8 ft to 11.5 ft SSW swell, glassy in the afternoon (4249) but the forecast says it’s too big for The Heads. Only for the crazy ones.
Friday the 17th morning is another cracker. Clean 7.2 ft SSW swell (1541) with a light cross-off from the NNW, 12-second period. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers – this is the one to circle in the second week.
Saturday the 18th morning
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sun 12 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 335 | 865 | 650 | 819 | 1065 | 970 | 1417 | 1468 | 2212 | 2124 | 3430 | 3078 | 4074 | 3503 | 3045 | 1999 | 1564 | 889 | 889 | 478 | 441 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:10AM1.40m | 7:43PM1.53m | 7:59AM1.31m | 8:36PM1.48m | 9:05AM1.23m | 9:46PM1.44m | 10:33AM1.20m | 11:10PM1.43m | 12:05PM1.25m | 00:31AM1.50m | 1:19PM1.36m | 1:38AM1.60m | 2:17PM1.51m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:14AM0.41m | 1:18PM0.34m | 2:03AM0.46m | 2:05PM0.42m | 3:05AM0.50m | 3:08PM0.50m | 4:23AM0.51m | 4:29PM0.55m | 5:49AM0.47m | 6:00PM0.52m | 7:05AM0.37m | 7:18PM0.42m | 8:06AM0.25m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | | |  | | |  |  | | |
 | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — |
 | 5:30 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Temp °C | 16 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | ESE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 335 | 865 | 650 | 819 | 1065 | 970 | 1417 | 1468 | 1697 | 2124 | 3430 | 3078 | 4074 | 3503 | 3045 | 1999 | 1564 | 889 | 889 | 476 | 369 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SE 17 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | — | SE 7 | SSE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 122 | 247 | 180 | 123 | 68 | 58 | 38 | 360 | 700 | 720 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | — | 212 | 285 | 240 | 478 | 242 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 10 | — | S 22 | SSW 20 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | S 10 |
| kJ | 184 | 1 | 1 | 123 | — | 9 | 127 | 31 | 18 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 12 | 10 | 30 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2212 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 441 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
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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