Haardebaai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up at Haardebaai. This is a sheltered reef that takes a west swell, so it's a bit of a specialist spot. The next couple of weeks have a wild mix of solid groundswells and some serious wind events, so you need to pick your moments carefully.

The action starts on Thursday, 16 July. We've got a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is a chunky 2381. That's a lot of power, but it's crossed-off with a light westerly, so it's not totally clean. It's advanced territory, so only the experienced crew should be out there. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing weird.

Friday, 17 July, is a proper standout. The morning is glassy with a light offshore from the WNW, and the swell is still a very decent 6ft from the SW (835 combined energy). The wind is dead calm, so the surface will be like a mirror. This is the best clean window of the whole run. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off, but the swell drops a touch.

Saturday, 18 July, sees the wind pick up, but it's offshore from the NW and WNW, blowing at 12-16 mph. The swell holds at 6ft, and with a moderate offshore breeze, it'll be clean and lined up. Another good day for the experienced surfer.

Sunday, 19 July, is another gem. The morning is clear with a light offshore from the NNW, and the swell ticks back up to 6ft from the SW with a 12-second period (1108 combined energy). The afternoon gets glassy again with a light SW breeze, and the swell drops to 4ft. It's a classic day of two sessions.

Monday, 20 July, starts clean with a light cross-off, but the afternoon goes sour. The wind swings to the west and hits 19 mph, making the surf poor despite the 5ft swell. Give the afternoon a miss.

Now, here's the big warning. Tuesday, 21 July, through to Thursday, 23 July, is for the very brave or the very foolish. The wind is a howling offshore, 25-31 mph from the NNW and NW, with swell heights of 10ft to 13ft. The combined energy peaks at 5713. The waves are huge and clean, but the paddle-out is a near-gale mission. It's really only for the most experienced, and even then, it's a survival mission.

The surf turns poor from the afternoon of Thursday, 23 July, through to Sunday, 27 July. The wind goes onshore from the SE, and the swell is all over the place. There's a window of onshore slop, and the combined energy drops to between 971 and 2879. Not worth paddling out.

Then, on Saturday, 25 July, we get a serious pulse. The morning has a 13ft SW groundswell (14 seconds) with a gentle offshore from the WNW, and the combined energy is a massive 6032. It's an excellent, clean session for advanced surfers only. The afternoon gets crossed-up again, so stick to the morning.

The next standout is Tuesday, 28 July. The morning is glassy again with a light NNE breeze, and we have a clean 7ft SW groundswell (13 seconds). The combined energy is 1660, and it's a very good, clean option. The afternoon stays good with a moderate offshore from the WNW.

Wednesday, 29 July, has a weird one. The morning has a very long-period 20-second SW swell (5ft) with a fresh cross-off from the WSW, so the combined energy is 2343. That long period will make it break straight at the beach, but on this reef, it could be special. The afternoon is a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds.

The final week, from 30 July onwards, is a mix of huge swell and onshore wind. The 30th and 31st have 16ft+ SSW swells, but the wind is onshore, so it's messy and dangerous. The 31st morning is the biggest of the run, with an 18ft SSW swell and a combined energy of 19444, but it's cross-on. It's a kite-surfing show, not a paddle-surfing session.

So, to wrap it up: the best clean windows are the morning of Friday, 17 July, Sunday, 19 July, and the morning of Saturday, 25 July. The 25th is the biggest and best of the lot, but it's for experts only. Keep your eyes on the sky.

Rusty

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