Fish Hoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's have a look at what’s coming down the line for Fish Hoek.

Gotta be honest, the next week or so is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid swell pulses on the cards, but the wind is going to be the deciding factor. For the most part, a stubborn SSE breeze is going to put a cross-onshore chop on things, making it hard work. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing too wild there. The first real standout is a window around Saturday the 22nd and then again the following Wednesday, the 26th of August.

Let’s start with this coming Monday, the 17th. There’s some background swell from the WSW at 6ft, 13 seconds (1042 combined energy), but the morning is a write-off. By the afternoon though, we’ve got a clean offshore wind from the west at 9 mph and the same swell. That gives us clean, workable waves. Not the biggest, but clean.

Tuesday and Wednesday the 18th and 19th are a no-go. The SSE wind picks up and choppy conditions ruin any chance of quality. That trend of cross-onshore rubbish continues right through until Friday the 21st. We’re looking at a gap of a few days where the surf really isn’t worth paddling out for.

Now, the first true standout is Saturday the 22nd of August. The morning session is *chef’s kiss* – glassy conditions with WSW wind at 3 mph. The swell is a clean 5ft from the SW with a 12-second period (542 combined energy). It’s a touch on the smaller side, but it’ll be absolutely perfect lines. Then in the afternoon, it gets even better. The swell pulses to 7ft from the SW (11 seconds, 1422 combined energy), and a 6 mph cross-offshore wind from the SW cleans it right up. This is the pick of the first week – excellent conditions for a surfer with a bit of experience. The moderate wave energy (1422) means there’s some real push behind those waves. Keep in mind, Fish Hoek can get a crowd, so get in early.

The SSE winds return on Sunday the 23rd, chopping up a 6ft SSW swell. Then Monday and Tuesday the 24th and 25th are just more of the same – onshore wind and poor surf.

Then we get to the second real highlight. Wednesday the 26th of August. Morning sees a 6ft swell from the SW with a solid 16-second period (1443 combined energy). That’s some proper groundswell. And the wind is a clean offshore from the WNW at 6 mph. This is for the experienced crew – that long period (over 15 seconds) means it will wrap in nicely at Fish Hoek. The afternoon goes glassy again, with a 5ft SW swell (14 seconds) and 3 mph WSW wind, delivering very good conditions again.

After that, we have a bit more promise. Friday the 28th of August looks fun with a cross-offshore wind and a 5ft SW swell (13 seconds, 686 combined energy). Then Saturday the 29th sees a bigger 8ft swell from the SSW, but it’s got a shorter 10-second period and a strong 16 mph cross-offshore wind. That’s a powerful, lumpy one for the experts only. After that, it’s back to onshore slop for the end of the month.

So, to sum it up: the real magic is Saturday the 22nd, with glassy conditions and a fun 5-7ft swell, and Wednesday the 26th, with a clean, long-period groundswell. Get on them.

- Rusty

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