Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 20 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,405 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 20 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s 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 Sunday (Sep 20) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.7m and 8s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 20th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 20th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me run through it with you. The Heads starts off pretty average, and there’s a long wait before anything really gets good. From Wednesday the 16th through Tuesday the 22nd of September, it’s mostly messy, choppy, and marginal. The water’s real cold – 14° – which is about 3° colder than normal for this time of year. That’s unusual, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit.
The first true standout hits Sunday the 20th of September in the afternoon. The Heads (sandbar) pulls it together. You’ve got a clean 1.9m (about 6ft) SW groundswell with a long 13-second period, and the wind goes dead calm – glassy. That’s rare. The combined energy is 1586 (moderate to strong). It’s an intermediate spot, fairly consistent, but that long-period swell can be tricky on a sandbar, though with no wind, it’ll be clean and lined up. This is rated excellent for experienced surfers, so if you’re good, this is your session. Crowds can show up here sometimes.
Then there’s a gap until Thursday the 24th of September afternoon. Again, The Heads delivers – glassy conditions with a massive 3.0m (about 10ft) SSW groundswell, 14-second period, and combined energy at 3395 (strong). That’s big, powerful, and clean. At 10ft, it’s for experts only. Beginners, don’t even think about it. If you’re an experienced surfer, this is the best day of the whole forecast.
Sunday the 27th of September morning keeps the good run going. Another glassy morning with 2.0m (about 7ft) SW swell, 13-second period, and combined energy at 1402 (moderate to strong). The wind is just a slight air – glassy. This is excellent for experienced surfers. A solid session, but Thursday the 24th is the real standout for size and power.
After that, it fades. The last week of September and into October is mostly onshore wind and short-period junk. Nothing worth paddling out for. So your best bets are Thursday the 24th of September afternoon, and Sunday the 27th of September morning. The 24th is the bigger, more powerful day, but both are clean and glassy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Wed morning, fresh winds from the ESE by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | E 7 | ESE 8 | SW 11 | SW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2318 | 1744 | 1346 | 1281 | 1025 | 865 | 739 | 713 | 796 | 574 | 552 | 1641 | 1639 | 1247 | 772 | 471 | 367 | 465 | 196 | 273 | 318 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 1:08PM1.20m | 1:13AM1.25m | 1:38PM1.37m | 1:45AM1.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:51AM0.66m | 7:16PM0.65m | 7:25AM0.51m | 7:46PM0.50m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | |  | | |  | | |  | | |  |  | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — |
mm | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 20 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | ESE 8 | SW 12 | SW 12 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SW 8 |
| kJ | 2318 | 1744 | 1346 | 1281 | 1025 | 865 | 739 | 713 | 796 | 449 | 414 | 1641 | 1639 | 1247 | 361 | 471 | 367 | 302 | 196 | 171 | 318 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | — | — | SSW 18 | SW 12 | SW 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SW 13 | S 5 | SSW 15 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 106 | 106 | 75 | 55 | 57 | 36 | — | — | 30 | 574 | 546 | 394 | 329 | 339 | 772 | 14 | 44 | 263 | 123 | 273 | 154 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | WSW 12 | S 13 | SW 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 127 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 118 | 96 | 12 | 171 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | ESE 6 | E 7 | — | WSW 4 | — |
| kJ | — | 138 | 191 | 321 | 240 | 209 | 444 | 704 | 595 | — | 552 | — | — | — | — | 291 | 230 | 465 | — | 25 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 26 | 8 | 26 | 586 | 26 | 424 | 429 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
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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