Fish Hoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu at Fish Hoek over the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it's a tough stretch. We got some serious waiting to do before anything decent lines up.

Right now, the sea is a mess. Strong, onshore winds are just tearing the place apart, forcing up towering, junky swell that's pushing 8 feet on Thursday afternoon and Friday, but with a short, weak period. The combined energy is high (1266 on Thursday arvo, 1084 Friday morning), but it's all wind-chop and closeouts. Not worth paddling for. This ugly, windy pattern hangs around right through the first week, with wave heights staying around 5 to 8 feet, but always blown-out with a cross-onshore or onshore wind. It’s a solid blank run of poor surf from now through about the 12th of September. A few sessions on Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th get a brief window of lighter winds and some offshore flow from the NW, but the swell drops way down to 3 feet. It's clean, sure, but just too small to get excited about.

The first real standout comes on Sunday, the 13th of September. Now, we get a pulse of swell, hitting 8 feet (1769 energy in the arvo) from the SE. The period is still short at 8-9 seconds, and it's a cross-on breeze, so it won't be perfect. But that's by far the most power we've seen in a while, and it might just have enough grunt to offer a couple of waves if you're desperate.

The absolute best bet, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Monday, the 14th of September. It’s not the biggest of the run, with waves around 3 feet from the SSW, but the combined energy is a respectable 582. The kicker is the wind: a clear, offshore flow from the NW and WNW all day, with a light to moderate breeze. That means clean, lined-up conditions. For a spot like Fish Hoek, which is fairly exposed to the swell and can get crowded, this is your window. It's not a monster, but it'll be the most user-friendly, cleanest surf on offer. You'll be sharing the take-off zone, as crowds are often a thing here, but with quality like that, it beats the wind-blown slop of the surrounding days.

Later in the second week, on the 16th, there's another kick in size to 8 feet (1960 energy) from the SW on Wednesday morning, but the winds are a bit questionable again. That 8 feet from the SW on the 16th afternoon is huge, but the 15-second period and strong onshore winds will make it a washing machine. Stick with the 14th.

So, short story: The next week and a half is mostly a write-off. Hold out for Sunday the 13th for power, but lock in Monday the 14th of September for your best chance at clean, fun waves. Longer-range looks promising but is less certain, so keep an eye on the charts.

Rusty.

Read more