
Surf Forecasts:
Eastern Beach surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 17s period, S swell with 3,443 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Eastern Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Eastern Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Eastern Beach in the next 16 days are 2.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eastern Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’re in for a bit of a wild ride over the next couple of weeks at Eastern Beach. The opening days have some promise, but there are long gaps of ugly conditions before we get a few windows of cleaner surf, so pick your moments carefully.
The first real chance kicks off on Thursday the 3rd, Thursday morning. The swell is a gentle 3ft from the south, with a nice 11-second period – that’s a bit of groundswell energy pushing through, and the glassy conditions thanks to a light 3 mph southerly will have the surface looking like velvet. The wave energy is moderate at 312. It’s a sandbar that’s inconsistent, so you’ll have to be patient, and it can get crowded sometimes, but for a morning session this is the standout of the first few days. Water temp is sitting at 66°, about 1° cooler than average for this time of year, so not far off normal – just a touch crisp.
Thursday afternoon, though, things get scratchy. A thunderstorm risk, bumpy cross-shore winds at 12 mph, and the swell jumps to 5ft but with only 10-second period and messy energy (811). That’s a pass.
Friday the 4th morning is a no-go for paddle surfing – 12ft of south-southeast swell with a 10-second period and onshore winds at 19 mph. That’s big, lumpy, and powerful (2075 energy), but the wind will chop it to bits. It’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a surfing one.
From Friday afternoon all the way through to Tuesday the 10th, it’s pretty much a write-off. The winds are cross-onshore or onshore, often strong, and the swell is either too small, too big, or just messy. There’s a gap of several days with nothing I’d recommend.
Wednesday the 9th morning shows a bit of promise – 8ft from the east-northeast with 9-second period, light cross-shore winds from the south at 6 mph, and the energy is solid at 1250. But it’s marginal due to tide concerns, and that’s a beach setup, so the moderate period might keep it a bit sectiony. Not a standout, but if you’re keen, it’s the best of a bad run.
Then we’ve got a longer wait until Tuesday the 15th afternoon. This one is special. The swell drops to 4ft from the south-southeast, but the period stretches out to 15 seconds – that’s a nice, long groundswell. The wind goes completely glassy – 0 mph from the northeast – and the energy is strong at 1471. For experienced surfers, this is excellent: clean, lined-up waves on the sandbar. Inconsistent as always, but when the sets come through, they’ll be smooth and powerful. This is the real gem in the 16-day window.
Wednesday the 16th morning also looks tidy: 4ft south swell, 12-second period, light offshore south wind at 6 mph, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate at 765. Not as punchy as the Tuesday session, but a solid follow-up day.
Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are mostly ruined by rain and bumpy winds. A few marginal clean windows on Friday the 18th morning – 3ft from the south-southwest, 12-second period, moderate cross-offshore winds – but it’s nothing to write home about.
So, bottom line: Thursday morning the 3rd is your early bird special for clean, smaller waves. But the absolute standout is Tuesday the 15th afternoon with glassy conditions and long-period groundswell. Mark it in your calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 47mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 8 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ESE 8 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 24 | SSW 21 | S 17 | SSW 15 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
260 | 284 | 1152 | 1153 | 1284 | 791 | 500 | 344 | 326 | 317 | 1022 | 3443 | 574 | 708 | 562 | 732 | 517 | 851 | 645 | 567 | 853 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:27PM1.69m | 7:54AM1.47m | 8:39PM1.51m | 9:44AM1.36m | 10:55PM1.43m | 12:10PM1.43m | 00:47AM1.52m | 1:25PM1.62m | 1:47AM1.67m | 2:12PM1.81m | 2:31AM1.81m | 2:51PM1.97m | 3:07AM1.91m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:59PM0.65m | 1:42AM0.77m | 1:55PM0.83m | 3:05AM0.92m | 3:53PM0.97m | 5:44AM0.92m | 6:35PM0.89m | 7:13AM0.77m | 7:44PM0.71m | 8:01AM0.60m | 8:28PM0.54m | 8:38AM0.45m | 9:04PM0.41m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | 38 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 30 | 27 | 24 |
Feels °C | 23 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 29 | 25 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | E 9 | S 10 | E 10 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 21 | S 17 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | E 9 | S 11 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
260 | 284 | 41 | 1153 | 71 | 791 | 481 | 344 | 326 | 204 | 1022 | 3443 | 496 | 344 | 228 | 445 | 112 | 473 | 363 | 339 | 363 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | S 17 | S 15 | S 13 | E 10 | ESE 7 | SSW 24 | S 10 | — | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 11 | S 17 | SSE 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 |
22 | 12 | 86 | 128 | 22 | 104 | 153 | 17 | 121 | 317 | 161 | — | 574 | 215 | 104 | 157 | 5 | 29 | 23 | 71 | 68 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | S 17 | ENE 10 | E 10 | S 15 | E 10 | SSE 13 | S 13 | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 9 | SSE 11 |
36 | 36 | — | — | 23 | 33 | 31 | 17 | 48 | 18 | 54 | — | — | — | — | 44 | 27 | 44 | 50 | 15 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 9 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 5 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 |
— | — | 1152 | 511 | 1284 | — | 500 | 283 | 204 | 87 | 134 | 303 | 485 | 708 | 562 | 732 | 517 | 851 | 645 | 567 | 853 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 134 | 197 | 1126 | 3004 | 409 | 460 | 460 | 129 | 460 | 460 | 460 | 268 | 268 | 95 | 15 | 472 | 15 | 23 | 28 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Eastern Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Eastern Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Eastern Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Eastern Beach 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 (Eastern Beach) 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 Eastern Beach 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.
Eastern Beach is 8 km (5 miles) from the city of East London. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in East London. East London has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










