The Heads Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.07° S 23.06° E

The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 03 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Heads sea temperature is
15.6°C
1.7° 

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) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, SSW swell with 5,242 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s is also forecast. 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 3.0m 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+) 5AM (Sat 5th Sep)6ft (1.9m) 8s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 7th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 15s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 6th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for The Heads. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got some real gems hiding in there if you're patient.

The first week is a write-off, to be honest. We’ve got a solid swell on Thursday the 3rd, with waves hitting 12ft from the SSE, but the wind is howling from the same direction at 22 mph, making it a complete mess. That’s a strong 2193 combined energy, but it’s all for nothing with that cross-onshore junk. Friday and Saturday are similar stories – plenty of size but poor conditions. The swell actually drops right down on Saturday the 5th, with 4ft to 5ft and weak energy (around 650), but the wind is still cross-shore. It’s not worth paddling out for.

Then we get a real spike on Sunday the 6th. A very long period groundswell of 19 seconds from the SSW pumps the energy up to 4449 on the morning and 5769 on the afternoon. The wave height is 8ft to 10ft, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, which is going to put a nasty chop on it. That’s expert-only territory due to the size, and the period is so long it’ll be breaking straight at the beach, so it’s not ideal for The Heads. This one is a pass for paddle surfing, but it might look interesting for the kite crowd.

Alright, here’s the standout. Monday morning, September 7th. The wind drops to nothing – glassy conditions – and we’ve got a 6ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a 14-second period and a combined energy of 2352. That’s beautiful, clean, powerful surf. The waves will have proper shape, nice long lines, and the long period makes paddling out easier between sets. The Heads is a sandbar, so don’t expect it to be perfect, but with glassy conditions and that size, it’s going to be firing for experienced surfers. The water is sitting at 60°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

Tuesday the 8th morning is also glassy with a clean 5ft wave from the east, but the energy is weaker (903) and the period is only 10 seconds. It’ll be fun, but not the same quality as Monday.

The next big window is Monday afternoon, September 14th. The wind turns glassy again, and we’ve got a solid 8ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period and a combined energy of 3241. That’s another excellent session for experienced surfers. The morning of the 14th is a bit lumpy with cross-shore wind, but by the afternoon, it’s clean and powerful. This is a long-range call, so it’s promising but less certain.

After that, the second week gets a bit more ordinary. The 17th of September has a glassy morning with 5ft SW swell, but the energy is low (836) and it’s not a standout. The rest of the week is a mix of cross-shore winds and poor conditions, with a few marginal windows that aren’t worth chasing.

So, to sum it up: if you’ve got a free morning, Monday the 7th is the best bet by far – clean, glassy, and plenty of energy. The 14th afternoon is your long-range promise. Everything else is a battle with the wind. Hang tight, and I’ll see you out there.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Thu night, light winds from the ENE by Sat morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
2
1
1
1
3
2
3
4
3
4
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)
3.5
SSE
9
2.4
SE
9
2.2
ESE
8
2.1
ESE
8
1.4
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
10
0.8
SSW
22
2.3
SSW
19
3
SSW
18
2.4
SSW
16
1.9
SSW
14
1.8
SSW
14
1.5
SW
13
1.5
E
9
1
SW
12
0.9
SW
11
0.7
SW
14
1
SW
13
0.9
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2132
864
699
564
408
370
550
3852
5242
2682
1504
1258
757
388
300
173
181
335
277
Wind (km/h)
30
SE
25
ESE
25
ESE
15
ENE
20
ESE
25
ESE
20
E
25
E
30
E
15
ENE
5
E
10
ESE
5
N
5
SE
10
ESE
5
NNW
10
WSW
10
W
5
NW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
glassy
High Tide
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
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
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
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
9
1
Temp °C
16
16
16
14
16
17
15
18
18
15
23
25
22
27
28
22
23
20
17
Feels °C
11
10
11
10
12
13
12
15
13
11
23
25
22
27
27
22
23
19
17
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  • 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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