Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 5,509 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.9m and 7s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty comin’ at ya with the full 16-day look for The Heads. Let’s get straight into it.
We’ve got a slow start, but don’t write it off just yet. The real action kicks off Monday morning, September 7th, and that’s where the stoke begins. The Heads is a sandbar setup, fairly consistent, and it likes swell from the SSE. The water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that chill, so suit up.
Monday morning, the 7th, is your first standout. Swell is 7ft from the SSW with a long period of 14 seconds – that’s groundswell energy, and it’s packing a punch with combined energy of 2794. Wind is light and cross-off from the ENE, so the surface is clean. This is a session for experienced surfers; the size is solid, but the quality is there. Get out early.
Tuesday morning, the 8th, is another gem. Swell drops to 5ft from the E, period is short at 9 seconds, but the wind goes glassy. That’s dead calm. Combined energy is 764, so it’s weaker, but the glassy conditions make for some real clean, fun waves. Good for all levels.
Wednesday the 9th drops right off – tiny swell, poor conditions, not worth paddling out.
Thursday the 10th sees a pulse back, with 6ft to 8ft SSW swell, long period of 16 seconds, and combined energy hitting 2235 to 3289. Winds are light, but cross-onshore later, so it gets a bit bumpy. Still, plenty of energy.
Friday the 11th is messy. The morning has 6ft SSW swell but light rain, and by afternoon it’s 10ft from the ESE with short period and strong cross wind – that’s a washing machine.
Saturday the 12th morning is another real highlight. 10ft from the ESE, period is short at 8 seconds, but the wind is light and cross-off from the ENE, making it clean. This is big, expert-only territory. Combined energy is 1979. If you’ve got the skills, this is your window.
Sunday the 13th afternoon offers a clean-up: 5ft from the SW, 13-second period, light cross-off from the WNW, and combined energy of 1761. Clean, quality waves for intermediates.
Monday the 14th is a bit messy again with 10ft SW swell and onshore winds, but Tuesday the 15th morning is a beauty. 7ft SW swell, 12-second period, glassy wind, and combined energy of 1448. That’s clean, punchy, and good for experienced surfers.
From there, it trails off into more marginal conditions with a mix of onshore winds and lumpy seas. The 17th has some strong cross-onshore wind and 10ft swell – that’s more for kites than paddle boards. The 18th and 19th stay big and messy, with 8ft to 10ft swell and strong cross winds.
The 20th and 21st drop off further – 7ft to 8ft from the ESE, but winds are cross to cross-on, so it’s choppy and not worth getting excited about.
Best on offer: Monday morning the 7th and Tuesday morning the 15th. Clean, solid, and the most reliable windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun afternoon, calm by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Fri afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the E by Fri night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SW 12 | E 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5509 | 2887 | 1797 | 1261 | 528 | 388 | 314 | 184 | 198 | 290 | 290 | 1543 | 3978 | 2544 | 1266 | 1037 | 1351 | 1091 | 1503 | 2109 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:43AM1.33m | 1:22PM1.41m | 1:40AM1.49m | 2:07PM1.61m | 2:23AM1.63m | 2:45PM1.78m | 3:00AM1.73m | 3:19PM1.90m | 3:34AM1.79m | 3:51PM1.96m | 4:06AM1.79m | 4:21PM1.95m | 4:36AM1.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:29PM0.60m | 7:09AM0.45m | 7:36PM0.42m | 7:57AM0.28m | 8:22PM0.24m | 8:34AM0.13m | 9:00PM0.11m | 9:08AM0.03m | 9:34PM0.02m | 9:40AM-0.02m | 10:05PM-0.01m | 10:09AM-0.01m | 10:35PM0.01m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 16 | 21 | 25 | 22 | 27 | 29 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 27 | 28 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 5509 | 2887 | 1797 | 1261 | 528 | 388 | 256 | 184 | 90 | 290 | 290 | 1543 | 3978 | 2544 | 1266 | 1037 | 634 | 712 | 503 | 1406 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 8 | SSE 12 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 12 | E 10 | E 11 | S 7 | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | — | — | 356 | 50 | 437 | 218 | 314 | 142 | 198 | 90 | 64 | 580 | 56 | 35 | 392 | — | — | — | 770 | 1989 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SW 15 | SW 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | E 10 | — | E 10 | E 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 35 | 57 | 236 | 108 | 77 | 80 | 114 | 36 | 16 | 54 | — | 48 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 |
| kJ | 318 | 342 | 567 | 404 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 610 | 1351 | 1091 | 1503 | 2109 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 26 | 387 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 8 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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