East Pier (Port Alfred) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for East Pier (Port Alfred) over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real opportunity comes in on Tuesday, the 1st of September. It’s not a massive day, but the conditions are going to be sweet. We’re looking at a 5ft SSW swell rolling in with a 12-second period, which is a nice groundswell. The wind is glassy from the SSW at just 3 mph, and the water is sitting at 63°F – that’s 4°F colder than usual for this time of year, so it’s well below the norm. The combined energy of all swells is a solid moderate 662. This is the standout, a real clean session if you can get out before the wind shifts. This is a beach/pier setup, and it’s inconsistent, so don’t expect a wave every minute, but when they come, they’ll be clean. Crowds can show up sometimes, but with this quality, it’s worth the gamble.

Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings to the SSE at 9 mph, turning it cross-on and choppy, so that morning window is the one to chase.

Wednesday the 2nd sees a bigger punch of energy – an 8ft SSW swell at 13 seconds, with the combined energy jumping to a strong 2369. But the wind is a cross-shore from the SSW at 6 mph, and the forecast is only marginal. That size is starting to get a bit much for beginners, but it’s not out of control. Still, the conditions aren’t lining up for a clean ride.

We hit a real rough patch from Thursday the 3rd all the way through to the end of the first week. Strong winds, onshore slop, and messy seas. Thursday morning has a 16 mph SE wind with a risk of thunderstorms, and by Friday we’re looking at 12ft of short-period SSE swell (9 seconds) with a 22 mph onshore wind. That’s a big, ugly mess – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The combined energy on Friday morning is 2164, but it’s all wind-affected junk.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th are poor too. Sunday morning is a weird one: a tiny 4ft swell but with a 23-second period, giving a combined energy of 2042. That’s a very long period groundswell, but it’s backed by a 16 mph onshore wind, making it unsurfable. Sunday afternoon, the swell jumps to 15ft from the S at 20 seconds – that’s a massive, very long period groundswell, with a combined energy of 16168. It’s simply too big for this break, and the wind is a fresh cross-onshore. Only for the experts, and even then, it’s sketchy.

We get a clean reprieve on Tuesday the 8th of September. Morning looks good – a 5ft SSE swell at 11 seconds, with a cross-offshore wind from the NNW at 9 mph. Combined energy is a moderate 604. The breaks are clean and the wind is offshore. This is nearly as good as the 1st, but the swell is a bit smaller. After that, the outlook fades quickly. The 9th has tiny waves, and from the 10th to the 16th it’s a long stretch of marginal or poor conditions. The 11th of September has a 5ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross-on from the ENE, so it’s choppy. The 15th and 16th have clean offshore winds from the SW, but the swell is only 4ft to 5ft, making it marginal at best.

All in all, the standout is Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. The backup is Tuesday morning, the 8th. The rest of the window is a tough slog with big, messy conditions or tiny, clean waves. Don’t hold your breath for the second week.

Rusty.

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