The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
15.2°C
2.1° 

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 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,873 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period. 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 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) 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 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Mon 24th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Mon 24th Aug)7ft (2.1m) 12s
Most Powerful 8AM (Tue 25th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 14s

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 the next couple of weeks have in store for us at The Heads. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.

The first few days are pretty average, honestly. Monday morning kicks off with some cross-on wind and a 5 ft SW swell, but it’s messy and the water is a chilly 59°, feeling much colder than normal for this time of year. Not worth paddling out for.

We get a bit of a pulse building through Tuesday and Wednesday, with swell heights climbing from 8 ft up to 8 ft from the SW, but the wind is either onshore or cross-shore, making it lumpy and choppy. The combined energy jumps up to 2500 (moderate to strong) on Tuesday, but the conditions just aren’t there to make it enjoyable. Wednesday afternoon gets ugly with a 22 mph cross-wind. Skip it.

Now, Thursday the 27th is where it gets interesting. That morning we’ve got a 6 ft SSW swell with glassy conditions. The wind is barely a whisper out of the WSW. The combined energy is 1393 (moderate), and the period is 12 seconds, which is a nice, long groundswell. This is the standout of the early window. This reef and river setup will handle that long period well, offering clean, lined-up waves. It’s manageable for experienced surfers, but at 6 ft, it’s not too crazy. Crowds are *sometimes* a factor here, so you might have a battle for the good ones, but the quality should be worth it.

After that, Friday and Saturday drop off. Winds swing around, swell backs off to 3 ft, and Saturday afternoon turns into a choppy mess with 16 mph winds.

Here’s the thing – we hit a bit of a dry spell with the wind coming in shitty for a few days. But hang in there, because Sunday the 30th brings a real treat. We’ve got a 7 ft WSW groundswell (13 sec period, 1711 energy) in the morning with glassy conditions. That’s a beautiful combo. By the afternoon, it bumps up to 10 ft from the SW, still clean with a light cross-off breeze. This is for the experienced crew only – over 8 ft is expert territory – but if you’ve got the skills, this is going to be a solid session.

Then we get a few more days of mediocrity and rain showers through the start of September. But look ahead to Wednesday the 2nd of September. That morning we’re looking at a massive 15 ft SW swell with incredible combined energy of 5046 (strong). The wind is cross-off out of the WNW, and the conditions are clean. The problem? It’s simply too big for this break. The file itself says it's too big. Unless you’re an absolute charger with a death wish, give that a hard pass. The afternoon and the 3rd are a write-off with storm-force winds.

By the 4th of September (Friday), the swell is still huge (18 ft SSW, 23494 energy) but the wind is light and cross-on. Again, it’s primarily a big-wave situation for experts only, and it’s going to be a washing machine out there.

The last couple of days of the outlook drop back down to 5 ft to 6 ft swells with onshore winds and rain. Not your best bet.

The true standout? Lock in Thursday the 27th of August for the morning session. The combination of that 6 ft SSW groundswell and glassy conditions is the best quality-to-access balance in the whole forecast. The water is cold, so bring a good wetsuit, but the waves will be worth it.

Stay frothy,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the ESE by Wed afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri night, min 15°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
4
3
3
4
1
1
3
4
4
3
2
3
2
2
0
3
4
4
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SW
12
1.6
SW
11
2.4
SW
14
2.3
SW
13
2.5
SW
14
2.3
SW
13
1.9
SW
12
1.5
SSW
16
1.9
SSW
12
1.8
SSW
12
1.7
SSW
12
1.6
S
11
1.3
S
11
1.6
ESE
10
1.1
S
10
0.9
SSE
13
0.7
SSE
12
1.7
WSW
8
2.1
WSW
13
3
SW
9
3
WSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
638
652
2323
1810
2509
1831
1026
1051
1089
887
847
663
403
435
265
277
140
356
1427
1247
2588
Wind (km/h)
5
SW
5
SSW
0
N
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
NNE
25
E
35
E
15
ENE
5
WSW
5
E
5
NE
10
E
10
ENE
25
N
10
NW
25
WSW
10
WNW
5
E
5
WNW
20
SSW
Wind State
cross-on
on
glassy
on
on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
2:11PM1.34m
2:15AM1.43m
2:39PM1.49m
2:44AM1.55m
3:06PM1.63m
3:12AM1.65m
3:32PM1.75m
3:40AM1.72m
3:59PM1.84m
4:08AM1.76m
4:26PM1.89m
4:37AM1.76m
4:54PM1.90m
Low Tide
8:02AM0.49m
8:15PM0.51m
8:30AM0.35m
8:44PM0.38m
8:56AM0.23m
9:11PM0.26m
9:21AM0.12m
9:39PM0.16m
9:46AM0.05m
10:07PM0.09m
10:13AM0.01m
10:35PM0.06m
10:40AM0.01m
11:05PM0.06m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:56
6:56
6:54
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:02
6:04
6:05
6:05
6:06
6:07
6:07
 mm
2
14
16
15
Temp °C
16
16
12
14
15
13
18
19
15
22
23
20
28
31
32
31
29
17
14
14
15
Feels °C
15
15
12
13
14
12
14
14
10
22
22
19
25
27
27
25
27
15
14
14
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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