The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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