East Pier (Port Alfred) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s not looking like a classic run for East Pier (Port Alfred). We’ve got a bunch of days with onshore winds and pretty ordinary conditions, so you'll have to pick your moments. The good news is there are a few windows where things line up.

The standout of the whole forecast is Tuesday morning, September 8th. The ocean is going to be flat calm with a glassy surface thanks to a whisper-light NNE breeze swinging in from the north-northeast at only 3 mph. There's a clean 4ft south swell with a nice 12-second period pushing in. The energy is moderate at 485, but with those conditions, you'll be getting clean little lines wrapping into the pier. This is the best bet for the whole period, for sure. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is 5° colder than usual for this time of year, so a good 4/3mm wetsuit is a must.

Now, for the more adventurous, check out Wednesday, September 16th. We get a long period swell at 19 seconds from the SSW, pushing 4ft. The wind is a clean cross-offshore at 19 mph from the southwest. The combined energy is strong at 1908, meaning there's plenty of water moving. This is a proper groundswell, and while the waves will be clean, they might wall up and be a little fast and straight for the beach-break sections. It’s more of a point-break kind of day, but East Pier can get a good wall on that.

After that, Thursday, September 17th keeps the energy going. It's another morning of clean, cross-off conditions with an 8ft swell from the southwest. That’s a fair bit of size, pushing into the expert-only zone. The energy is pumping at 2368. The wind will keep things tidy, but you need to be on your game.

We then hit a rough patch. A massive 15ft SW swell shows up on Monday, September 22nd, but it's being hammered by a 22 mph cross-onshore wind. That’s a no-go; the whole setup looks more like a kite-surfing jamboree than a surfing session.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Saturday, September 19th looks promising: a clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. It’s a solid, clean surf day. Then Sunday, September 20th keeps the clean theme going with a 4ft SSW swell with a hint of offshore wind from the NNW. The period is a very long 16 seconds, but the wind should keep the surface silky.

So, to sum it up: don't waste your time fighting the onshores. Target that glassy Tuesday morning (Sep 8th) for the absolute best quality, and keep your eye on the 16th and 19th for some cleaner, more powerful groundswell. It’s a waiting game, but there are rewards.

Rusty.

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