Fish Hoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what the ocean’s got cookin’ for Fish Hoek over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first solid surf shows up Friday the 14th of August. It’s not going to blow your mind, but there’s clean little 4ft SW groundswell rollin’ in with a nice long 15-second period. That long period means better shaped, more powerful waves, but at a beach break like this, it might peel a bit straight. The wind’s a cross-offshore from the NNW at 12 mph, so the faces will be tidy. The water’s sitting at a cooler-than-normal 57°, about 3° colder than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent suit. Combined swell energy is moderate, reading 514.

By Saturday the 15th, things clean up even more. Glassy conditions in the morning with an easterly breeze at just 3 mph, and the swell hangs in around 4ft to 4ft from the WSW, still with a solid 14-second interval. This is gonna be the pick of the early window if you want user-friendly, clean waves with barely a ripple on the water. The energy bumps up a notch, hitting 552 in the afternoon.

Sunday the 16th sees the swell start to push up a bit, hitting 4ft and then 5ft by the afternoon, still from the WSW at 14 seconds. The wind stays cross-offshore, but it’s a bit puffier—still clean enough for a decent session if you’re not too fussy.

Then we get a real treat. Monday the 17th, the swell stands up to 6ft from the WSW with a 13-second period, and the morning wind flips offshore from the WNW at barely 3 mph. This is the standout session of the first week—clean, glassy, powerful, with very strong swell energy registering at 1093. The waves will have some push, so it’s getting into intermediate territory, but conditions are gonna be prime.

After that, it goes pretty quiet from Tuesday the 18th through to Friday the 21st. Strong cross-onshore winds from the SSE chop everything up, swell drops, and the quality tanks. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate for a fight. We’re talking a solid four-day lull.

Things start to look more interesting again on Saturday the 22nd of August. The swell jumps to 7ft from the SW with a 14-second period—serious energy, reading 1663. The wind is cross-off NNW, so it stays clean. This is getting solid, too big for beginners, but a proper option for experienced surfers who want some power.

But the absolute best of the whole run? That’s Sunday the 23rd. Morning session is looking magic: 8ft of SSW groundswell with a 13-second period, and the wind drops to glassy out of the southwest at 3 mph. The combined energy is huge at 1749, the water will be like a mirror. This is a serious swell, expert territory, but if you’ve got the skills, this is the session you wait for. The afternoon gets a bit mucked up with a cross-onshore breeze, so hit it early.

The following week gets messy again, with strong cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions from the 24th to the 25th. Swell drops right down, not worth it.

Hold onto your board for Wednesday the 26th—a sneaky long-period swell rolls in, 6ft SW with a 16-second period. That’s a very long period groundswell, meaning heaps of energy and long lulls between sets. Combined energy is strong at 1588. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not glassy but still surfable. That long period will make it bendy at the beach—more of a point break wave on the reefs.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th mornings offer clean-ish cross-off conditions with 5ft SW swells, moderate energy around 900. Worth a paddle if you’re keen for a decent wave without the crowd crush.

Saturday the 29th brings a monster: 10ft SW swell, but the wind is onshore and choppy. That’s a beast—only for the brave, and even then, it’s a battle. Energy readings are through the roof at 3563.

So for my money, the two standouts? Monday the 17th morning for a clean, powerful session at a manageable size, and Sunday the 23rd morning for a big, clean, glassy groundswell that’ll have the experienced crew grinning from ear to ear.

Keep your eyes on the horizon, and get out there when it’s clean.

Rusty

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