Fish Hoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Fish Hoek has in store for us over the next 16 days.

Alright, looking at the overall picture, it’s a real mixed bag. We’re starting off with a few days of clean, workable little waves, but then a big, powerful swell shows up, and it gets blown to bits by strong onshore winds. The second week is pretty grim, with a few tiny, clean moments but nothing to get excited about. There’s a standout session right at the start of the first week if you can get out, and then a big, powerful window for the brave boys about a week from now.

The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year. Nothing dramatic, just a bit of a nip in the air.

Let’s start right at the beginning. Wednesday the 26th is a bit of a write-off. The morning has a clean 4ft SW swell with a 13-second period, but the wind is onshore, giving us poor surf. The afternoon is even smaller and marginal. Not worth paddling out.

Skip to Thursday the 27th. Now we’re talking. The morning sees a 4ft S swell (12 seconds) with a light offshore NW wind, and the forecast is good. This is a proper session for the longboard or a fun mid-length. The afternoon is similar, though the wind goes cross-off, but it’s still clean. This is our best early bet.

Friday the 28th is the highlight of the first week. The morning is absolutely glassy, with a light ENE breeze, and a 3ft S swell (11 seconds). The energy is weak (279), but it will be clean as a whistle. The water will be like glass. This is the one to get out for. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind, so hit the morning session.

Saturday the 29th has a promising morning with a 3ft WSW swell, long period of 16 seconds, and a light cross-off breeze. The energy is moderate (573). That long period means the swell will have shape and power, but it might be a bit straight at the beach break. The afternoon, however, sees a jump in size to 6ft but with a 12 mph cross-shore wind and rain. It’s a messy, choppy mess.

Sunday the 30th is a bit of a washout. A solid 6ft SW swell (13 seconds) but the wind is cross-onshore, ruining the surface. The energy is moderate (1048). Not worth the drive.

Monday the 31st is a return to cleaner conditions. The morning has a 4ft WSW swell with a light cross-off breeze and clean waves. A good, solid session. The afternoon is a bit smaller but still clean.

Now, here’s the big one. Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning has a pumping 8ft SW swell, but a strong 22 mph cross-off wind. That’s a lot of wind. The afternoon, however, is the standout of the entire forecast. The swell jumps to 10ft, with a 14-second period, and a light offshore WNW wind. The energy is very strong (2925). This is serious groundswell, and the wind is perfect. This is for experienced surfers only, as anything over 8ft is a handful. If you’ve got the skills, this is the session to circle. The long period will be great for the point, but it might be a bit too straight for the beach.

Everything after that goes downhill fast. Wednesday the 2nd through to Saturday the 5th of September is a write-off. Strong onshore winds, massive, messy swell, and rain. The swell gets up to 15ft on the 3rd and 4th, but with near gale-force onshore winds, it’s a complete blowout. This is more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing.

There’s a big gap of poor conditions from the 2nd to the 5th. Then we get a slight reprieve on Sunday the 6th, but the wind is still onshore, so it’s poor.

Finally, the second week offers a few tiny, clean moments. Monday the 7th of September has a 2ft SW swell with a light cross-off wind. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Tuesday the 8th is similar – tiny and clean, but hardly worth suiting up. The energy is under 150 most of the time. The action picks up again on Wednesday the 9th with a 3ft to 4ft WSW swell, but the period is short at 8-9 seconds, so the waves will be weak and crumbly. The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but it’s just small, weak junk.

The forecast ends on Thursday the 10th of September with a big, powerful 8ft SW swell (14 seconds) but a strong onshore wind, making it completely unsurfable.

So, to wrap it up, your best bets are the glassy Friday morning on the 28th of August, and the powerful, offshore afternoon on Tuesday the 1st of September for the experienced crew. The rest is a whole lot of waiting for the wind to play nice.

Rusty.

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