East Pier (Port Alfred) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s run through what’s happening at East Pier in Port Alfred. This is a beach and pier spot that can be a bit inconsistent, exposed to the SSW swell. When it’s off, it’s off, but when it lines up, it’s a treat.

The water temperature is 17°, which is much colder than normal for this time of year – 3° degrees cooler than the average, so expect a chill in the air.

First real chance is Wednesday afternoon, July 8th. We’re looking at 5ft swell from the SSW with a 13-second period – a nice groundswell. The wind is cross-off at 22 mph, keeping it clean. The energy is strong (1107), but the forecast says it’s marginal, likely tide-dependent. Worth a look if the tide plays nice.

Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th see the swell jump to 10ft from the SSW. That’s a big step up – too big for beginners, only for experts. The wind stays cross-off, the energy is cranking (up to 3521), and it’s clean, but that size is a serious call.

Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th are a mess. Onshore and cross-on winds at 12 to 25 mph, rain and lumpy conditions, with swells around 7ft to 5ft. No good.

Monday the 13th is small and clean: 3ft from the SSW, light cross-off air, but the energy is weak (332). Ordinary.

From Tuesday the 14th through Saturday the 19th, we hit a flat patch. Swells are mostly under 3ft, wind is often onshore, and energy stays low – often under 200. That’s about six days of nothing much.

Thursday the 16th of July spikes again: 10ft from the SW, strong cross-off wind, but the forecast says it’s too big for this break.

The real standout is Monday morning, July 20th. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the SSW, with the wind a light cross-off from the north at just 3 mph. The energy is moderate (555), and the forecast says “very good surf conditions.” Crowds can pop up here sometimes, but the early bird gets the cleanest waves. That’s the one to chase.

The afternoon of the 20th gets to 6ft, but the wind turns light cross-on – still worth a look, but more marginal.

Tuesday the 21st of July brings a 3ft swell from the south with a monstrous 15-second period. That’s a deep ocean groundswell. The energy is moderate (901), and the wind is light cross-off. At a beach and pier break, such a long period can make the waves break a bit too straight, but there’s plenty of push.

Late Tuesday the 21st into Wednesday the 22nd sees the swell hit 8ft to 10ft with a 14 to 16-second period. The energy goes through the roof (over 4000), but Wednesday morning brings a gale-force offshore wind at 44 mph. That’s “gale force offshore and extremely hard to paddle into” – basically unridable for most.

Thursday the 23rd of July is another big one: 10ft to 12ft from the SSW at a 14-second period, with light wind. The forecast says it’s too big for this break.

So, the pick of the lot is Monday morning the 20th of July – clean, manageable, and a light breeze. The big days on the 9th and 10th are there for the experts. The rest is either flat, small, or blown out. Mark that Monday.

Rusty.

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