East Pier (Port Alfred) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty.

Alright, let’s cut to it. The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag, with a proper wild stretch around the middle that’s going to sort the men from the boys. For the first few days, we’re hanging on to some leftover swell, but it’s a bit wonky. The real standout is the Thursday morning session, and then we’ve got a raw, powerful, and dangerous big-swell pulse that’s not for the faint-hearted. Let’s break it down day by day.

We start out of the gates with a bit of a dud. Sunday’s got a lumpy, cross-onshore vibe with a 8ft ESE swell at 12 seconds, but the wind is ruining it. It’s a write-off, so don’t even bother. Monday morning cleans up a touch with a light breeze, but it’s only 7ft and a bit jumbled, and the afternoon fades to junk. Tuesday is flat and messy, not worth the paddle.

Then we get our first real window. Wednesday morning is clean with a light cross-offshore, but it’s tiny—only 3ft. The afternoon, though, gets interesting with a glassy surface and a jump in period to 14 seconds, but the swell is still small. This is a looker, but not a goer.

Thursday morning (August 6th) is your first standout. This is the one to circle. East Pier (Port Alfred) is going to have a clean 8ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period. The combined energy is strong at 2250, the wind is light and cross-offshore, and it’s going to be firing. This is proper, powerful surfing, not for beginners at this size, but it’s going to be clean and lined up. The water is a normal 67°, about average for this time of year. Get on it early, because the afternoon turns into a cross-shore mess.

Friday is a blowout with a strong cross-onshore wind, and Saturday is just as bad, with a near-gale cross-offshore that’s going to make it howling. The swell is there, but it’s not surfable.

Now, brace yourselves. Sunday to Monday (August 9th and 10th) is a big, big swell. The models are showing a massive 18ft SSW pulse on Sunday with a 16-second period. The energy readings are off the charts, well into the four-digit range. This is a serious, expert-only situation. The wind might be favorable, but the size is predicted to be too big for the break. It’s dangerous, foaming, and probably won’t hold its shape. This is big-wave territory. Monday is still huge, 13ft, and absolutely not for the average surfer. The conditions will be wild. I’d say this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The rest of the week settles down a bit, but it’s still rough. Tuesday is a messy, onshore mess. Wednesday and Thursday have some small, clean-ish windows with long-period swell, but it’s all a bit average. Friday and Saturday are blown out again with fresh winds, killing the vibe.

But hold on, because there is one more glimmer. Sunday morning, August 16th is the second big standout. It’s forecast to be glassy, with a clean 5ft SSW swell and a super long 19-second period. That’s a very long-period groundswell, and it’s going to have some serious push. The energy is solid at 1620. This is a great way to end the fortnight—clean, glassy, and with a proper pulse of energy. It will be a good one for the experienced crew, as the long period can make beach breaks a bit wonky, but the pier should handle it well.

The following Monday is back to smaller and cleaner, a nice little finisher.

So, in short: Thursday morning (August 6th) and Sunday morning (August 16th) are your top picks. The stuff in between is either too big, too messy, or too small. Be patient, pick your moments, and be ready for the big one.

Rusty.

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