Surf Forecasts:
East Pier (Port Alfred) surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 4,267 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for East Pier (Port Alfred) this week:
The surf forecast for East Pier (Port Alfred) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at East Pier (Port Alfred) in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 11s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for East Pier (Port Alfred) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break it down. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there are some proper waves coming if you play the waiting game.
Right now, that water is chilly, running way below average for this time of year. You’ll want your thickest wetsuit, no question. The first couple days, Monday and Tuesday, look pretty average. Small, a little wind-affected, not really worth rushing out for unless you're jonesing for a paddle.
Then Wednesday morning, it switches on. That's when a cleaner pulse of swell shows up with the wind going glassy. This is the first real standout. The swell is coming from the southwest with some decent period on it. Now, this spot, East Pier (Port Alfred), it's inconsistent, so it won't be non-stop, but the sets that do come through will be worth it. It can get a little busy here too, so you might have some company. Get on it early Wednesday morning, because the afternoon wind will chop it up a bit.
Thursday is a no-go. The swell is way too big for this break. That’s expert-only, and I mean proper expert. It's going to be a washing machine. After that, things settle back down into a more manageable range. Friday morning looks clean with offshore wind, and Sunday morning has light winds too. It stays pretty consistent, but nothing else really fires until the following week. Monday the 24th is another glassy morning with a solid 2m of swell.
Now for the real long-range stuff. This is more than a week out, so don’t book your flights yet, but there are two big pulses on the map for the 30th and 31st. We’re talking a serious, long-period groundswell. The problem is, it's forecast to be well overhead and a half, which will make it too big and unruly for this spot. It's going to be powerful and could close out. That’s a day for the brave or the foolish, and for most of us, it's a day to watch from the beach.
In between, there is a proper flat spell and some strong onshore wind on the 26th that will mess things up. The 27th, in the afternoon, looks like a clean-up with lighter winds. So, the first real gem is Wednesday morning of this week, and the final week is all about the big, likely unsurfable, swell at the end of the month.
Keep your eyes on the charts and be ready to move when it's good.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the SW by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 746 | 653 | 507 | 1027 | 1748 | 1477 | 1385 | 1914 | 2960 | 3893 | 2204 | 1358 | 1106 | 801 | 662 | 1361 | 2313 | 1426 | 1299 | 828 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:30PM1.50m | 6:38AM1.29m | 6:59PM1.36m | 7:08AM1.17m | 7:30PM1.21m | 7:42AM1.03m | 8:12PM1.07m | 8:49AM0.91m | 10:19PM0.96m | 12:37PM0.91m | 00:55AM1.03m | 1:45PM1.05m | 1:47AM1.15m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:40AM0.30m | 12:39PM0.30m | 1:10AM0.42m | 1:09PM0.44m | 1:46AM0.55m | 1:44PM0.59m | 2:45AM0.67m | 2:54PM0.72m | 5:46AM0.71m | 6:30PM0.73m | 7:31AM0.59m | 7:43PM0.61m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 18 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | ENE 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 746 | 653 | 507 | 1027 | 1748 | 1477 | 1385 | 87 | 2446 | 3893 | 2204 | 1358 | 1106 | 801 | 662 | 1361 | 2313 | 1426 | 1299 | 828 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | — | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 396 | 255 | 160 | 125 | 110 | 81 | 40 | — | 34 | 22 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 16 | SW 15 | — | — | ENE 4 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | ENE 6 | E 9 | NE 6 | NE 6 |
| kJ | — | 105 | 262 | — | — | 16 | 59 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | SW 7 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 149 | — | — | — | — | 1914 | 2960 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 155 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 0 | 120 | 122 | 2 | 0 | 139 | 325 | 187 | 121 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 187 | 187 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our East Pier (Port Alfred) surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the East Pier (Port Alfred) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for East Pier (Port Alfred) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at East Pier (Port Alfred) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our East Pier (Port Alfred) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (East Pier (Port Alfred)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for East Pier (Port Alfred) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Eastern Cape (South)? If you are looking for accommodation near East Pier (Port Alfred), camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Eastern Cape (South), consider staying in Port Alfred which is 1 km (1 miles) away. Other places in and around Eastern Cape (South) where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Grahamstown which is 47 km (29 miles) away, Bisho and Fort Beaufort.
Nearest