The Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at The Heads over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, things are messy. We’ve got a solid pulse of swell coming in, but the wind is just wrecking it. Wednesday the 2nd sees a 9.8ft SW groundswell at 13 seconds, but that SSE wind is blowin’ cross-on at 6 mph, making it bumpy. The water’s 59.9°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good hood. The combined energy is a strong 2831, but the quality is marginal. That afternoon, it drops to 8.2ft with an ESE wind, still choppy.

Thursday the 3rd starts with light rain and a 5.2ft SW swell, but the wind is still cross-on. The real story is Thursday afternoon: heavy rain, wind howlin’ at 22 mph from the SSE, and a 11.5ft short-period S swell at 9 seconds. That’s a total mess, combined energy of 2350, but it’s rated poor surf conditions. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle wave.

Friday the 4th is all cross-shore wind at 19 mph, with 8.2ft SE swell at 9 seconds. Lumpy, choppy, and no good. Saturday the 5th isn’t any better – wind stays cross-shore, swell drops to 6.9ft with a period of only 7 seconds. Weak, short, and messy.

Sunday the 6th is where things get interesting. The swell direction swings to the SSW, and the period jumps to 19 seconds – that’s long-period groundswell, real energy. The morning shows 6.2ft with combined energy of 3595, but the wind is cross-shore from the E at 12 mph, so it’s not clean. The afternoon pumps up to 8.2ft, 17-second period, and a massive 4805 combined energy. The wind is still cross-shore but a bit stronger. This is a big, powerful swell, but it’s still a bit lumpy. For a sandbar, that long period can make it break a bit straight, but there’s juice in the water.

Monday the 7th is a better bet. The wind finally swings offshore from the SW at 9 mph in the morning, with a 5.6ft SSW swell at 14 seconds. Combined energy is 2224. The morning is cross-on, but by afternoon, the wind turns cross-shore from the W at 9 mph, and the swell holds at 5.6ft, 14 seconds, with 1821 energy. The afternoon is cleaner, with a slight cross-chop, and the score is the best so far. This is the standout of the first week: clean-ish, decent size, good energy.

Tuesday the 8th morning is a gem – glassy offshore wind from the S at 3 mph, with a 3.6ft SW swell at 12 seconds. Combined energy is 707. It’s small, but it’ll be clean. The afternoon picks up a light cross-on breeze, swell drops to 3.0ft. After that, Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are tiny and weak, with combined energy dropping below 500. Not worth paddling out.

Friday the 11th sees a return of a 6.2ft SW swell at 13 seconds, with light cross-on wind from the WSW at 9 mph. Combined energy is 1415. It’s okay, but not a standout.

Now, the second week brings a big spike. Saturday the 12th has a 9.8ft ESE swell at 8 seconds in the morning, and by afternoon, it’s 11.5ft, 8 seconds, with a combined energy of 2132. The wind is light cross-on, but the swell is too big for The Heads – it’s rated as too big for this break. Sunday the 13th is even bigger: 11.5ft to 13.1ft, 9-10 second ESE swell, with fresh cross-shore wind at 19 mph. Again, too big. Save your energy.

Monday the 14th is the real standout of the whole period. The swell drops to 7.9ft from the ESE at 10 seconds, combined energy 1425, and the wind is light and offshore from the NE at 6 mph. That’s clean, glassy conditions. This is excellent surf, but the size is solid – it’s for experienced surfers. The break is fairly consistent, but crowds are possible, so get in early.

After that, the swell fades fast. Tuesday the 15th is small, 3.0ft, and weak. Wednesday the 16th picks up a little 4.9ft SSW groundswell at 18 seconds, with light cross-shore wind. Combined energy is 2632, but it’s a long-period swell, so it might be a bit too straight for the sandbar.

Thursday the 17th ends the run with a massive 11.

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