Fish Hoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Fish Hoek.

Right now, things are pretty quiet, but there’s a decent run of surf starting later this afternoon and building through the start of the week. The water is sitting at 58°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit this week.

This afternoon, Sunday the 2nd, we’ve got small 3ft SW swell at 13 seconds. It’s clean with a light cross-off breeze, but honestly, it’s pretty weak – combined energy is only 255. Surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

Monday morning the 3rd looks better. Swell bumps up just a touch to 3ft from the SW with a nice 13-second period, and the wind goes glassy – dead calm. That’s the standout of this early period. The combined energy is up to 398, and the conditions should be clean, clean, clean.

Tuesday the 4th stays small and mixed. The wind swings cross-on in the morning, but by Tuesday afternoon, it goes glassy again with 3ft SW swell at 11 seconds. It’s weak though, energy only 192. Still, if you’re keen for a gentle log session, it’s rideable.

Wednesday the 5th is where things start to ramp up. Morning sees 5ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a cross-off NW breeze at 12 mph – clean, moderate energy (1024). By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 7ft from the SW at 15 seconds, and the energy is getting serious at 1688. This is solid, but the wind is up to 12 mph from the NNW. It’s still cross-off and clean, so this will be the best session of the first week for experienced surfers. Beginners might find it a bit much.

Thursday the 6th keeps the swell in the 6ft to 7ft range with 13-second periods, but the wind is messy in the morning. Thursday afternoon, though, is a beauty – glassy conditions with 6ft SW swell and massive energy at 1632. That’s a top pick for experienced surfers.

Friday the 7th holds strong: 7ft SW swell at 14 seconds in the morning, cross-off breeze, energy 1787. Afternoon goes offshore with WNW wind at 12 mph and 6ft swell. Very good session for those who can handle it.

Now, from Saturday the 8th through Sunday the 9th, it gets big. Saturday morning sees 16ft SW swell at 15 seconds – that’s enormous. Combined energy is 9796, and by the afternoon it’s 11932. The wind is cross-off but strong at 15-18 mph. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s marginal due to the size and wind. The swell direction is SW, which isn’t quite the optimum SE for Fish Hoek, so the setup might be a bit walled. For most, this is more of a spectacle than a paddle session.

Sunday the 9th still has 13ft SSW swell, but the wind goes cross-on in the morning and cross-shore in the afternoon. The energy is still huge (8503 and 5267), but the quality drops. This window will be more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers, given the size and onshore influences.

Monday the 10th is a nice reset: 6ft S swell at 13 seconds, morning cross-off from the north, clean conditions, energy 1335. Good for experienced surfers. Afternoon drops to 5ft with clean cross-off wind.

Then we hit a quiet stretch. From Tuesday the 11th through Friday the 14th, the swell drops to 2ft to 5ft, period is short to moderate, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on. Energy is low to moderate. The surf is pretty poor during this run – not worth paddling out unless you’re really desperate.

Saturday the 15th sees a bit of life return. Morning has 4ft WSW swell with a cross-off breeze, moderate energy (680). But the afternoon is a genuine standout: 4ft SW swell with an incredible 20-second period – that’s proper groundswell, very long. The wind goes offshore from the WNW, gentle at 9 mph. Clean, lined up, and the energy jumps to 1759. This is the best wave of the second week, especially for a reef or point break setup. For Fish Hoek, that long period can mean the wave stands up nicely.

Sunday the 16th has 6ft SW swell but the wind is cross-shore to cross-on, so quality is mixed. Monday the 17th morning is glassy with 6ft SW swell at 13 seconds and energy 1012 – another clean session to wrap things up.

Overall, the real standouts are Monday morning the 3rd for the glassy small wave session, Wednesday afternoon the 5th for building size and clean conditions, and Saturday afternoon the 15th for that super long-period groundswell with offshore wind. Don’t sleep on that one – it’s a beaut in the making.

Rusty.

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