The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
17.7° C
0.4° 

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 20 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 6,865 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period with SE 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 (Jul 21) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m 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 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Tue 21st Jul)4ft (1.2m) 11s
Best Surf 5AM (Fri 24th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 16s
Most Powerful 8AM (Fri 24th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

Alright, so the only spot on the radar for this 16-day stretch is The Heads. It’s a sandbar set-up that’s fairly consistent, so that’s a good sign. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The first real action kicks off Tuesday morning, July 21st. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the SSW with a long 14-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is cranking at 1809. The kicker is the wind: glassy, with a light SW breeze. That’s going to make for some clean, lined-up waves. It’s a bit sizey for a complete beginner, but for an intermediate, it’s a winner. The early part of the week is the standout here.

As the day rolls into Tuesday afternoon, the wind shifts to a cross-on from the SE and the swell jumps to 8 ft. It gets choppy and less appealing. The next few days, Wednesday through to Thursday, are a mixed bag of cross-shore and cross-on winds, with the swell holding around 7 ft to 8 ft. The quality drops off due to the chop.

Now, Friday morning, July 24th, is a bit of a beast. The swell is pumping at 12 ft from the SSW with a very long 16-second period, and the energy is through the roof at 6360. The wind is glassy from the east. That’s a big, powerful ocean. This is expert territory only – way too big for a beginner, and even for a strong intermediate, the washing machine effect will be real. The wave quality is there, but you need to be on your game.

The weekend, July 25th and 26th, sees the swell drop back to 8 ft and then 6 ft. Sunday morning, the wind turns offshore from the NNW, giving clean 6 ft waves. That’s a nice, mellow session. Sunday afternoon goes glassy again.

Looking into the second week, there’s a promising window on July 28th. Tuesday afternoon is glassy, with a nice 6 ft swell from the SW and a 14-second period. That’s clean and will have good shape. Then Thursday morning, July 30th, is dead calm with a glassy 7 ft SSW swell. That’s a great call for a dawny.

The very end of the forecast, into August 1st and 2nd, has some absolute gems. Saturday afternoon, August 1st, is glassy with a 6 ft SW swell, and Sunday morning, August 2nd, is dead calm with a 7 ft SW swell. Both are clean, with good energy. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes,” so you might see a few heads, but it’s not going to be a zoo.

The Heads is the only game in town, and it delivers. The best bets are the glassy mornings, especially the first Tuesday, the later Sunday, and those early August sessions. The big Friday is a spectacle for the brave.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
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
4
2
1
3
3
0
4
!
3
4
3
3
3
3
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)
1.2
SE
11
1.9
SSW
14
2.5
SSW
14
2.4
SW
13
2.1
SW
12
2
SW
12
1.4
SW
12
2.3
SW
12
3
SW
12
2.1
SSW
17
3.5
SSW
16
3
SSW
15
2.5
SSW
14
2.5
SSW
13
2.5
SSW
13
2
SW
12
1.8
SW
12
1.8
SW
12
2
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
380
1447
2503
1942
1240
1129
590
1474
2219
2494
6308
4255
3023
2148
2053
1148
944
913
1131
Wind (km/h)
10
NNW
5
SW
10
SE
5
NE
15
W
15
WSW
10
WNW
10
W
20
WSW
10
WSW
5
E
15
SE
5
NE
5
ESE
10
E
5
N
10
NNW
5
SSW
10
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
off
off
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
8:12AM1.21m
8:44PM1.33m
9:14AM1.10m
9:54PM1.22m
10:58AM1.05m
11:34PM1.19m
12:41PM1.10m
00:56AM1.24m
1:43PM1.21m
1:50AM1.33m
2:24PM1.32m
2:30AM1.44m
Low Tide
2:16AM0.53m
2:10PM0.55m
3:12AM0.63m
3:07PM0.67m
4:36AM0.69m
4:43PM0.75m
6:22AM0.67m
6:36PM0.72m
7:32AM0.58m
7:43PM0.63m
8:16AM0.47m
8:26PM0.52m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:26
7:26
7:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:38
5:39
5:39
5:40
5:42
5:42
5:43
 mm
2
Temp °C
13
16
17
13
16
16
14
16
18
15
16
17
14
19
21
17
25
27
17
Feels °C
12
16
16
12
13
13
13
14
15
13
15
14
13
18
19
15
22
24
16
  • 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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