The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for The Heads.

The week starts off a little slow, but we’ve got a nice pulse of long-period swell building. The water is sitting at a chilly `59°F`, which is a solid `5°F` below the norm for the time of year – that's much colder than usual, so a thick winter suit is essential.

Friday the 14th actually opens with a bit of promise. There’s a clean morning on the cards with light offshore northerly winds and a building `5ft` SW groundswell, with a very long `16-second` period. This is proper groundswell energy, with a combined energy of `1317` – moderate but with great shape. The Heads is a sandbar set-up, so that long period can make things a bit straight, but for a point break or reef this would be incredible. Still, it’s the best of the morning. The afternoon goes sour with a cross-onshore wind shift, so get out early.

Saturday (15th) and Sunday (16th) are average. The swell drops back, winds are cross or cross-on, keeping things choppy and small. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, Monday the 17th is the standout. If you’re an experienced surfer, cancel your plans. Early morning is glassy with a solid `7ft` SW groundswell at `13 seconds` – plenty of grunt there with a combined energy of `1712`. Winds are dead calm, so it’ll be absolutely clean. The Heads can handle this size, and it’s only for intermediate to expert crew. The afternoon stays glassy and `7ft`. This is the pick of the first week.

Tuesday (18th) and Wednesday (19th) see the swell pulse holding over `7ft`, but cross-onshore winds creep in, leaving it a bit messy. The energy is still strong (around `1000` to `1500`), but the wind chops it up. It’s surfable, but not as good as Monday.

Thursday the 20th is worth a mention for another early glass-off. Winds go dead calm again, with a dropping `6ft` swell. It’ll be clean and fun, but smaller.

From Friday 21st into the 22nd, things get huge. A monster swell arrives. We’re looking at `15ft` to `16ft` SW swells with `16-second` periods and combined energy blowing through the roof (`13146`). This is a big, powerful, dangerous swell. For The Heads, it’s too big and will be washing through – this is strictly for experts only, and even then, it might be more of a show than a surf. Winds are messy too, so it’s a pass for most.

Sunday 23rd is still oversize at `12ft` to `13ft`, still too big and unruly for this spot.

We see a gradual drop through Monday 24th to Wednesday 26th, with swell hanging around the `8ft` to `10ft` range. Winds are mostly light, but the size still makes it a serious prospect. The afternoon of the 26th looks promising again, with cleaner conditions and a cross-offshore breeze.

Thursday 27th onwards sees the swell fading back to manageable sizes (`5ft` to `7ft`), but the wind is less reliable, with cross and cross-onshore breezes making it a bit sloppy. The 29th looks flat and messy with strong cross-shore winds.

So overall, Monday the 17th is your best bet for clean, powerful groundswell. If you’re a charger, the mornings of the 20th and 26th are also worth a look. The rest is average to poor.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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