Surf Forecasts:
The Heads surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 5,120 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 7s. 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 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I'm looking at the next couple of weeks at The Heads.
We've got a bit of a slow start, but hold on, because things get real interesting real quick. The main action kicks off Saturday morning the 12th with a clean, glassy 5ft SW swell. The combined energy is a healthy 1033, so there's some push behind it. Winds are light out of the west, making for a glassy surface. That's the kind of start you want.
Now, Sunday afternoon the 13th throws a curveball with a massive 12ft ESE swell. The energy reading is huge at 4702, but it's just too big for this setup. That's expert-only territory, and honestly, it looks more like a kiteboarding session than a surf.
The real standout, the one you circle on the calendar, is Wednesday morning the 16th. We're looking at a solid 10ft SW groundswell with a long period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 3762, and the winds are glassy out of the SSW. That's a recipe for some serious, clean waves for experienced surfers. It's going to be powerful, so you need to know what you're doing.
After that, things stay pretty good. Thursday morning the 17th is another glassy session with a cleaner 6ft SW swell and 1321 energy. Then again on Saturday morning the 19th, we get a repeat of that glassy, clean 6ft SW swell with 1207 energy. These are great, solid, surfable days.
The second week gets a bit more mixed. There's a window around the 23rd and 24th with another big pulse of swell, hitting over 10ft again, but the winds are messy, so it won't be as clean. By the time we hit the 25th, it gets blown out and choppy. There is a glimmer at the very end, on Sunday the 27th, with a clean, cross-off 5ft SSW swell, but that's a long way out.
So, bottom line: the early morning glass-offs on the 12th, 16th, 17th, and 19th are your best bets. Wednesday the 16th is the big dog for the experienced crew. Get on it.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 23°C on Sun night, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 478 | 825 | 1694 | 2291 | 1810 | 1917 | 1286 | 828 | 692 | 530 | 514 | 338 | 1402 | 3619 | 2006 | 1395 | 1154 | 884 | 1042 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 4:06AM1.79m | 4:21PM1.95m | 4:36AM1.75m | 4:50PM1.88m | 5:04AM1.68m | 5:18PM1.77m | 5:32AM1.58m | 5:45PM1.63m | 5:58AM1.45m | 6:11PM1.47m | 6:25AM1.31m | 6:38PM1.31m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:05PM-0.01m | 10:09AM-0.01m | 10:35PM0.01m | 10:38AM0.04m | 11:02PM0.08m | 11:05AM0.12m | 11:29PM0.18m | 11:31AM0.24m | 11:54PM0.31m | 11:57AM0.38m | 00:21AM0.45m | 12:24PM0.53m | 00:52AM0.59m | ||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  |  | | | |  | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | 6:15 | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 4 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 478 | 825 | 1694 | 2291 | 1810 | 1482 | 1286 | 828 | 692 | 530 | 514 | 338 | 753 | 3619 | 2006 | 1395 | 1154 | 884 | 1042 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SE 6 | S 8 | — | — | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 16 | E 11 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | E 10 |
| kJ | 163 | 97 | 196 | — | — | 1303 | 780 | 527 | 373 | 420 | 276 | 288 | 1402 | 143 | 240 | 78 | 116 | 64 | 32 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SSW 10 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | — | SSW 16 | SW 18 | E 11 | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — |
| kJ | 18 | 111 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | 100 | 319 | 181 | — | 104 | 73 | 51 | 51 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 7 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 331 | 1611 | 1640 | 1917 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 92 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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