The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 03 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
15.5°C
1.8° 

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 3 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 4,233 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s is also forecast. 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 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Thu 3rd Sep)5ft (1.6m) 12s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 7th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 15s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 6th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, I’ve had a good look at the charts for The Heads. This is a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.

The action starts this Thursday the 3rd. There’s a bit of a tease to kick things off. Thursday morning, the swell is a clean 5ft from the SW, with a 12-second period and glassy conditions – that’s about as good as it gets for a paddle out. The water’s sitting at 60°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. That morning window is the standout, with combined wave energy at a solid 1018 (moderate). It’s the pick of the first week by a long shot. But don't get too comfortable, because by Thursday afternoon it gets blown to bits by a strong SSE wind, and the swell jumps to a messy 13ft, which is one for the experts only, and even then it’s ugly. That Thursday morning session is your only real shot for a few days.

After that, Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are a write-off with onshore winds and cross-chop. The swell drops right down. There’s a big gap of poor conditions until Monday the 7th. That Monday morning is a beauty, though. Clean, glassy, with a 6ft SW swell rolling in at a nice 14-second period. Combined swell energy is strong at 2154. That’s another absolute gem for experienced surfers. Tuesday the 8th morning is also good – smaller at 4ft, but glassy again. After that, a long run of marginal or poor conditions stretches from Wednesday the 9th all the way through to Saturday the 12th. Small, weak swell with cross-shore winds. Nothing doing, really.

Now, looking a bit further out, things get interesting again. The week of the 13th. Sunday the 13th has some size, but it’s messy. Monday the 14th has very big SSW swell, 12ft, with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross and it’s honestly just too big for this break – a kite surfer’s dream, but a tow-only situation for normal paddling. The real standout of the second week is Tuesday the 15th afternoon. It’s glassy again with a clean 5ft SW swell, 12-second period, and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That is the one to circle on the calendar.

Then things stay okay for a while. Wednesday the 16th has a 6ft SW swell but it’s a bit bumpy. The absolute final highlight is Friday the 18th morning. A 8ft SW swell, 14-second period, with light offshore WNW wind. That’s clean and powerful, excellent for the experienced crew. The afternoon gets ruined by onshore winds, but the morning is a cracker.

So, if you’re chasing the best of the best, wake up early on Thursday the 3rd morning, Monday the 7th morning, and Tuesday the 15th afternoon. Friday the 18th morning is also a solid bet. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might want to get in early for those glassy windows. The swell direction from the SW to SSW is right in the pocket for The Heads, which is a sandbar setup, so the shape should be good when the winds cooperate.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun afternoon, calm by Mon morning).

Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
1
2
2
4
4
3
3
3
1
2
1
1
2
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
4
SSE
9
4
SSE
9
2.5
SE
9
2.5
SE
8
2.4
ESE
8
1.4
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
10
2.3
ESE
7
2
SSW
19
2.5
SSW
18
2.1
SSW
16
1.8
SW
14
1.7
SSW
14
1.6
SW
13
1.2
SW
12
1.2
E
10
0.9
E
10
0.8
SW
14
1
SW
13
0.9
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
811
2333
2568
906
848
653
408
370
483
2863
4233
2228
1340
1080
841
409
284
178
281
335
256
Wind (km/h)
5
SW
35
SSE
35
SE
25
ESE
25
ESE
20
ENE
20
E
25
ESE
20
E
25
E
30
E
15
ENE
0
ENE
5
SE
5
W
5
SSE
10
ESE
5
NW
10
WSW
5
SSW
0
SE
Wind State
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross
glassy
cross
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
7:20PM1.45m
7:52AM1.21m
8:36PM1.27m
9:53AM1.10m
10:59PM1.21m
12:15PM1.21m
00:43AM1.33m
1:22PM1.41m
1:40AM1.49m
2:07PM1.61m
2:23AM1.63m
2:45PM1.78m
3:00AM1.73m
Low Tide
12:56PM0.42m
1:45AM0.51m
1:58PM0.59m
3:22AM0.65m
4:09PM0.71m
5:49AM0.61m
6:29PM0.60m
7:09AM0.45m
7:36PM0.42m
7:57AM0.28m
8:22PM0.24m
8:34AM0.13m
9:00PM0.11m
light rain
heavy rain
mod rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:09
6:10
6:10
6:12
6:13
6:14
6:14
 mm
5
21
8
Temp °C
15
16
16
15
16
14
16
17
15
18
21
16
24
25
21
26
27
20
19
19
16
Feels °C
15
14
10
9
11
9
12
12
11
14
17
12
25
25
21
26
26
21
18
19
17
  • 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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