Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 5,727 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 12s period with SW 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
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 cookin' at The Heads.
First up, the water temp is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. No surprises there.
The week kicks off with a bit of a slow start, but don't let that fool you. We've got a solid pulse of SW groundswell coming through. Saturday the 25th is a bit of a write-off with a cross-onshore breeze messing up a 8ft swell, but the energy is already there (2286). The real standout is Sunday the 26th morning. The swell drops a touch to 7ft from the SW, but it's glassy – dead flat calm. That's the kind of morning you drag yourself out of bed for. The waves will be clean and lined up, a proper session for the experienced crew. The water is a bit cold, but you won't notice it with that kind of quality.
We get a bit of a messy spell after that with some cross-shore winds, but the next golden window is Wednesday the 29th. Wednesday morning is a beauty: clean, offshore wind from the ENE, with a 6ft SW groundswell. The energy is still strong (1577), and the conditions are gonna be perfect for the sandbar. It'll be a bit more manageable for the intermediate surfer as well.
For the absolute best of the whole forecast, I'm looking at Monday the 3rd of August. That morning is pure magic. The wind is a clean offshore from the NNW, blowing straight into the face of a 5ft SW groundswell with a nice 14-second period. That's a proper groundswell, and the energy is solid (1602). This is an expert window, but the waves are gonna be flawless. Later in the day the wind swings onshore, so get in early.
The second week tails off a bit. There's a few fun sessions, like Wednesday the 5th of August afternoon with a glassy 5ft SW swell, and Thursday the 6th morning with a glassy 5ft from the E. But the consistency drops. The end of the forecast on the 9th is a bit of a dud with a weak, short-period swell and a cross-breeze.
So, to sum it up: Sunday the 26th morning for the glass, Wednesday the 29th morning for the clean offshore, and Monday the 3rd of August morning is your standout – that's the one to circle on the calendar. It's a bit of a ways out, so keep your fingers crossed the wind holds, but if it does, it will be a cracker.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1824 | 1094 | 897 | 1185 | 1568 | 3991 | 3822 | 2378 | 2181 | 1672 | 1094 | 841 | 784 | 784 | 854 | 792 | 755 | 1149 | 1636 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:50AM1.33m | 2:24PM1.32m | 2:30AM1.44m | 2:59PM1.44m | 3:04AM1.53m | 3:30PM1.55m | 3:35AM1.61m | 3:59PM1.64m | 4:04AM1.66m | 4:28PM1.71m | 4:33AM1.68m | 4:56PM1.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:16AM0.47m | 8:26PM0.52m | 8:50AM0.36m | 9:01PM0.42m | 9:20AM0.26m | 9:32PM0.33m | 9:48AM0.18m | 10:03PM0.26m | 10:15AM0.12m | 10:32PM0.22m | 10:42AM0.08m | 11:02PM0.19m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — |
 | 5:42 | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 15 |
Feels °C | 12 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 8 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 8 | SW 12 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 1824 | 1094 | 897 | 1185 | 1568 | 3991 | 3822 | 2378 | 2181 | 1672 | 1094 | 841 | 276 | 784 | 854 | 792 | 755 | 324 | 1172 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SE 9 | SSW 16 | E 8 | — | — | S 8 | — | ESE 7 | — | SSW 13 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SW 12 | — | SW 12 |
| kJ | 68 | 357 | 334 | 21 | 463 | 19 | — | — | 95 | — | 235 | — | 784 | 172 | 352 | 176 | 481 | — | 203 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 38 | 38 | 17 | 7 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 3 | SW 5 | — | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | — | — | — | ESE 7 | — | ESE 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 5 | 43 | — | 394 | 351 | 329 | 229 | — | 307 | — | — | — | 305 | — | 1149 | 1636 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 423 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 26 | 11 |
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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