Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 19 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, ESE swell with 3,156 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period with ESE 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 (Sep 14) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Heads in the next 16 days are 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 19) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Sat 19th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Imperial
Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s talk The Heads. It’s a sandbar that picks up a good SSE swell, but the water’s a bit nippy at 60°, which is about 4° colder than usual for this time of year – bring the thick rubber.
The 14th kicks off pretty average. A 7ft ESE swell, but the wind’s a light cross-onshore, so it’s a bit messy. The energy is solid (1280), but it’s marginal.
Tuesday the 15th is the golden spot. The morning serves up a clean 5ft E swell with an 11-second period and glassy conditions. The water is flat. That’s a win. The afternoon holds up with a 4ft E swell staying glassy. This is your best session.
Wednesday the 16th gets a power surge. Morning sees an 8ft SW swell with a long 14-second period – great shape – but a 15 km/h cross-shore wind adds a bit of chop. The energy is huge at 2818. Thursday the 17th is similar with 8ft and 7ft SW swells, but cross-shore winds keep it from being pristine.
Friday the 18th is rubbish. A 6ft SW swell with 25 km/h cross-shore winds makes for a washing machine. Saturday the 19th sees a monster 12ft to 13ft ESE swell – that’s expert-only, and with a 9-10 second period, it’ll be a closeout. Energy hits 3513. This is for the deep crew or the kite surfers.
There’s a rough patch with strong onshore winds through the 20th. A reprieve comes on the 21st. Monday afternoon is glassy with a clean 4ft SW swell (12-second period). That’s the real deal.
After that, it’s a mixed bag of chop and cross-shore winds right through to the 29th. The 28th of September shows some 8ft and 7ft swells, but nothing locks in perfectly.
Best advice: aim for Tuesday the 15th with glassy 5ft E swell, or Monday the 21st with glassy 4ft SW swell. The rest is just weather to sit out.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 42mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Thu afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Thu night, fresh winds from the ESE by Sat morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | ESE 7 | SW 13 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 907 | 620 | 606 | 410 | 798 | 2708 | 878 | 1482 | 1817 | 1315 | 995 | 836 | 544 | 905 | 2168 | 2947 | 2080 | 1647 | 1456 | 919 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:18PM1.77m | 5:32AM1.58m | 5:45PM1.63m | 5:58AM1.45m | 6:11PM1.47m | 6:25AM1.31m | 6:38PM1.31m | 6:56AM1.16m | 7:13PM1.15m | 8:00AM1.01m | 9:23PM1.02m | 12:12PM1.04m | 00:26AM1.10m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:29PM0.18m | 11:31AM0.24m | 11:54PM0.31m | 11:57AM0.38m | 00:21AM0.45m | 12:24PM0.53m | 00:52AM0.59m | 12:56PM0.68m | 1:44AM0.74m | 2:09PM0.83m | 5:05AM0.80m | 6:23PM0.81m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | |  |  | | | |
 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 6:17 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — |
mm | 1 | 3 | — | — | 4 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 21 | 4 |
Temp °C | 22 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 23 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 |
| kJ | 907 | 620 | 606 | 410 | 674 | 2708 | 703 | 1482 | 1817 | 1315 | 995 | 836 | 544 | 905 | 546 | 457 | 466 | 1647 | 1456 | 611 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 14 | SSE 7 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | — | SSW 14 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | — | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 373 | 224 | 228 | 202 | 188 | 110 | 878 | 111 | 73 | 35 | 19 | — | 352 | 6 | 173 | 109 | — | 711 | 990 | 919 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 5 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | S 12 | — | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 11 | — | — | S 10 | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 |
| kJ | — | 19 | 50 | 204 | 3 | — | 78 | 76 | — | 55 | — | — | 18 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | 269 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 10 | — | S 7 | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | S 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 798 | — | 138 | — | 262 | 155 | 151 | 290 | 543 | 893 | 2168 | 2947 | 2080 | — | 199 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 429 | 1038 | 426 | 483 | 26 | 30 | 164 | 443 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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