Haardebaai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Let's have a look at what’s on the table for Haardebaai.

Honestly, mate, the next couple of weeks are looking like a bit of a mixed bag. There’s plenty of swell on the way, but it’s often coming with a side of strong wind. The first week is pretty much a write-off for anything clean, with the best window of opportunity looking like the middle of the second week. Hang tight.

The water temperature is sitting at a very chilly 56°, which is 4° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s notably cool, so you’ll want the thickest rubber you’ve got.

We kick off with a bit of a tease today, Monday the 7th. Haardebaai has a 7ft SW swell with a period of 13 seconds, but it’s cross-on and only scores a 2 out of 10. The wave energy is strong at 1346, but the conditions are marginal.

Tuesday the 8th through to Saturday the 12th is a long stretch of poor surf. The swell drops off, winds swing onshore from the SE, and the guidance scores are all zero. Not worth paddling out. By Thursday the 10th, the swell builds back to 8ft from the SW, but with 12-19 mph onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, lumpy mess.

The wind only gets worse. Friday through Sunday sees near-gale force winds from the SE pushing 28-31 mph onto the coast. The swell stays solid at 8ft, but it’s unsurfable. That energy reading hits 2967 on Saturday, but you wouldn’t want to paddle into that wind. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday the 14th shows a small glimmer. A 4ft SW swell with a clean offshore wind from the NNW at 19 mph. The score is still low at 1 out of 10 though, and it’s only marginal.

The standout in this forecast is Wednesday the 16th of September. This is a rare window at Haardebaai. For the first time in a while, the wind turns offshore from the WNW at 19-22 mph, and the swell goes massive. We’re talking a 15ft to 16ft swell from the WSW with a period of 16 seconds. The wave energy is off the charts at over 22000. Look, this is only for the absolute experts. The period is long, and a 16ft wave at a sheltered reef with that kind of power is not for the faint-hearted. The morning session with fresh offshore wind looks a touch better than the afternoon. This is the one to aim for.

After that, Thursday the 17th sees the swell hold at 15ft, but the wind swings onshore again from the SSE, making it ugly. The rest of that week fades into strong onshore wind and messy surf. Sunday the 20th has a brief respite with lighter cross-off winds and a 7ft swell, but it’s only a 2 out of 10, so don't get too excited.

In short: The first week is a dud. The best chance at a proper, stand-out session is Wednesday the 16th, if you’re an expert and packing the big board for that gigantic, powerful swell. After that, it’s back to waiting.

Rusty.

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