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The Heads

Garden Route Southern Cape South Africa, South Africa · Surf Forecast

Scored for
Board
Level
7
Now · Shortboard · Intermediate
Good
Chest high · Textured · N
Wave
1.3m
Period
9.6s
Wind
10 km/h Cross
Tide
Low

Tide · today

Low · High in 5h02
0.7m1.5m0.6m05h09h13h17h21h

5-day forecast

Scored for Shortboard · Intermediate · times in Africa/Johannesburg local

Tuesday

22 Sept
06:00
1.4m
9.8s
10 km/h
Cross
09:00
1.3m
10s
7 km/h
Cross
12:00
1.3m
10.2s
3 km/h
Cross
15:00
1.3m
9.7s
2 km/h
Cross
18:00
1.3m
9.7s
5 km/h
Cross
21:00
1.3m
9.6s
10 km/h
Cross

Wednesday

23 Sept
06:00
1.1m
6s
11 km/h
Cross
09:00
1.1m
6.2s
10 km/h
Cross
12:00
1.1m
6.3s
13 km/h
Offshore
15:00
1.1m
6.3s
10 km/h
Offshore
18:00
1m
6.3s
5 km/h
Cross
21:00
1m
6.3s
2 km/h
Onshore

Thursday

24 Sept
06:00
0.9m
7.1s
7 km/h
Onshore
09:00
1m
6.8s
8 km/h
Onshore
12:00
1.2m
6.4s
11 km/h
Onshore
15:00
1.4m
6.8s
15 km/h
Onshore
18:00
1.1m
6.7s
11 km/h
Onshore
21:00
1.6m
6.6s
9 km/h
Cross

Friday

25 Sept
06:00
1.4m
5.5s
8 km/h
Cross
09:00
1.7m
6.7s
8 km/h
Offshore
12:00
1.6m
9.3s
8 km/h
Offshore
15:00
1.5m
9s
10 km/h
Offshore
18:00
1.4m
8.8s
7 km/h
Cross
21:00
1.4m
8.7s
8 km/h
Cross

Saturday

26 Sept
06:00
1.2m
8.8s
5 km/h
Cross
09:00
1.3m
8.7s
7 km/h
Offshore
12:00
1.4m
9s
16 km/h
Offshore
15:00
1.3m
9.4s
15 km/h
Offshore
18:00
1.4m
9.3s
15 km/h
Offshore
21:00
1.4m
9.3s
10 km/h
Offshore

About The Heads

The Heads is a reef break over mixed in Garden Route Southern Cape South Africa, South Africa. It's at its best on 2.1–6.300000000000001m swells from the SE / S / SW with light offshore winds from the SW / W / NW, around low to mid tide. Every hour is scored for your board and skill level, so the rating reflects how it suits what you ride — not a one-size-fits-all star.

Break type
Reef
Bottom
Mixed
Best tide
low,mid
Best swell direction
SE, S, SW
Best wind direction
SW, W, NW
Ideal wave size
2.1m – 6.300000000000001m

The Heads surf FAQ

Is The Heads good for beginners?+

The Heads is a reef break over mixed, usually breaking in the 2.1–6.300000000000001m range, and how suitable it is for beginners really depends on the size and power on the day — not a fixed label. Set the level to Beginner above and WaveCheck flags the smaller, cleaner hours worth paddling out for.

What's the best board for The Heads?+

Different days call for different boards. The Heads can get sizeable, so a shortboard comes into its own on bigger days, while a longboard still works when it drops small. Tap through the boards above to see the live score for whatever you'll be riding.

What tide is best for surfing The Heads?+

The Heads tends to work best around low to mid tide. The tide chart above shows the current stage plus the next high and low, so you can time your session.

What are the best conditions for The Heads?+

Look for 2.1–6.300000000000001m of swell from the SE / S / SW with light offshore winds from the SW / W / NW. The 5-day forecast above scores every hour, so you can spot the window at a glance.

Nearby surf spots

Never miss it firing at The Heads

Set your board once in the app and every forecast is scored for you — plus alerts the moment your spots turn on, favourites, and 10-day forecasts.