The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a yarn about the surf at The Heads for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, so the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, but there's some real gold hiding in there if you're patient. The swell is coming, but the wind is gonna be a pest for a lot of the first few days. The key is to pick your windows.

Thursday the 27th of August is your standout. The morning kicks off with glassy conditions from a light ENE breeze, and there's a solid 6ft groundswell rolling in from the south with a 12-second period. The combined swell energy is moderate to strong at 2291. That afternoon, it turns into a dream session – glassy again, with the swell bumping up to 6ft and the period stretching to a very long 15 seconds from the south. The energy is still strong at 2201. This is a proper groundswell, so expect longer lulls between sets, but the waves that do come through will be well-shaped and powerful. It's going to be clean as a whistle. This is a real treat.

The week before that is a bit of a grind. Friday the 21st of August offers a 7ft swell from the SW, but the cross-on wind from the SE and a marginal tide comment make it a tough call. The water temp is a very unusual 58°, which is 5° colder than average for this time of year, so you'll be needing a thick wetsuit. The weekend is poor with moderate cross-shore winds and messy conditions.

Tuesday the 25th of August is one to watch, but it's a 'proceed with caution' day. The morning has a 10ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is very strong at 3056. The wind is a light cross-on from the SE. That's a big, powerful swell. For intermediate surfers, it's going to be a handful, and for beginners, it's a definite no-go. The afternoon drops to 8ft.

Then you've got a real juicy run starting Sunday the 30th of August. The morning sees a 13ft beast from the SW with a 13-second period and a whopping 5605 combined energy. The wind is a gentle cross-shore. The report says the wind and tide are good, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. That's expert territory only, and even then, it's a big call. The same goes for the afternoon with another 13ft swell.

Monday the 31st of August is your next best bet after the 27th. The morning is glassy with a 7ft swell from the south, 11-second period, and solid energy at 1422. It's labelled as excellent for experienced surfers. That's a proper clean session without the massive size.

The first week of September is a mix of big, unruly swells and clean windows. Thursday the 3rd of September is another day of massive 13ft groundswell from the SW with a 14-second period, glassy in the morning, but again, the report says it's too big for this break. That's a big, open ocean day for the brave.

So, to wrap it up: your top pick is Thursday the 27th of August for clean, glassy waves in the 6-6ft range. The window from Monday the 31st of August is also a strong option. The rest of the time, you're either fighting the wind or dealing with waves that are either too small or way too big. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, but for now, mark that Thursday down.

Rusty.

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