East Pier (Port Alfred) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the East Pier area.

We've got a run of surf coming through, but it's not all plain sailing. The first decent window kicks off Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about on that front.

Tuesday, 21st July – The morning is the pick of the early sessions. We're looking at a clean 4ft swell from the ESE, but with a decent period of 11 seconds, giving it some push. The combined wave energy is moderate (1043), and with glassy conditions, East Pier (Port Alfred) will be offering some tidy, workable waves. It's a bit on the bigger side for total beginners, but intermediate surfers will be smiling. The afternoon sees a jump in size to 5ft, period up to 15 seconds, and the energy jumps to 1451, but it goes onshore, so the quality drops right off.

Wednesday, 22nd July – Morning session again looks the goods. The swell is a solid 6ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is strong (1363). Glassy conditions mean it'll be clean as a whistle. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-offshore breeze picking up, so call it a half-day.

Thursday, 23rd July – The swell builds through the day. The morning is a bit average with a cross-off breeze, but the afternoon brings in a 8ft SSW swell with a 12-second period and strong energy (1508). It's still a bit chopped from the wind, but there's plenty of push. This is getting into the territory where it's better for experienced surfers.

Friday, 24th July – This is the standout. The morning has a 7ft SSW swell with a *very* long period of 17 seconds, pumping out serious energy (4053). The wind is a clean cross-off. This is a proper groundswell. Because it's a pier, a long-period swell like this might line up a bit straight, but the power will be unreal. The afternoon, however, gets a red flag. The swell hits 10ft with a 16-second period and massive energy (4421), but the wind is onshore and it's deemed too big for this break. That's strictly for the experts only, and even then, it's a maybe.

Saturday, 25th & Sunday, 26th July – The swell drops back to the 5ft to 7ft range, but the wind is a cross or cross-onshore, creating chop. It's surfable, but it's a battle to find a clean face. The energy is still moderate (774-1882), so there's push, but you'll be fighting the bump.

Monday, 27th July – A clean cross-off breeze returns, but the swell is fading to 5ft-5ft with a shorter period (12 seconds) and weaker energy (761-783). It's a bit of a lull.

Tuesday, 28th July to Friday, 31st July – This is a rough patch. Strong, onshore winds and messy conditions dominate. The swell is often there (4ft-7ft), but the wave quality is poor. It's a write-off for paddle surfing. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this period.

Friday, 31st July – There's a glimmer of hope in the morning. The swell is 5ft from the SSW with a 13-second period and moderate energy (931), and the wind is a clean cross-off. The forecast says "very good surf conditions," but the afternoon goes onshore again.

Saturday, 1st August to Tuesday, 5th August – The swell drops right off, mostly under 5ft, with short periods and weak energy. The wind is mostly offshore but the swell is too small and weak to get excited about. The mornings on the 2nd and 4th of August have a tiny bit of life, but it's a long wait for the next proper pulse.

So, to wrap it up: your best bet is Friday morning, the 24th of July, for the biggest, most powerful swell of the run, but it's a serious session. The Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (21st & 22nd) are the most reliable for a clean, fun wave with a bit of punch. There's a definite gap of poor conditions from the 28th to the 30th, and then it goes flat and weak for the first week of August.

Rusty.

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