Haardebaai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate. Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what Haardebaai (reef) has lined up for us. It’s a tricky run ahead.

The next week and a half is pretty grim to be honest. We’re looking at a solid stretch of cross-onshore winds that’ll have the surface chopped up and messy. The swell’s got some decent energy to it, but the wind is just ruining it for a paddle surfer. For the first few days, from the 28th of July right through to the end of the month, it’s blowout city. Tuesday the 28th is a write-off with a near gale from the ESE slamming into an 8ft SW swell. The combined energy is a massive 2667 (moderate to strong), but with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. Kite surfers would be having a field day, but for us, it’s a hard pass. There’s a brief glimmer on Saturday morning the 1st of August when it goes glassy with a light 4ft swell, but it’s weak energy (589) and the window is tiny. Then Sunday the 2nd of August morning brings a moderate offshore from the NW with a clean 4ft swell, giving us a couple of hours of half-decent shape. That’s the best of a bad first week.

Now, for the brave and experienced, things get interesting in the second week. Mark your calendars for Monday the 3rd of August. We’ve got a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a period of 15 seconds rolling in, combined energy of 2648 (strong). The wind is onshore from the SE, so it won’t be perfect, but the size and grunt are there for the experts. Tuesday the 4th of August is a standout: glassy conditions in the morning with a solid 7ft SW swell and moderate energy (1184). That’s the cleanest, most surfable day of the whole run. Wednesday the 5th of August has a massive 10ft to 12ft SW swell with a fresh to strong offshore wind from the NNW and NW, energy readings are off the charts (4009 and 4201). This is big, powerful, and clean, but at 12ft, it’s strictly for the pros. Paddling out will be a mission with those long-period sets, but the shape on a reef like Haardebaai will be epic for those who can handle it. After that, the wind goes cross-off again on the 6th, still huge at 12ft, but clean. The big standout for the whole forecast is Sunday the 9th of August. The data is screaming that it’s predicted to be too big for this break – a monstrous 21ft to 23ft SW swell with a 17-second period (very long period, groundswell) and combined energy of 31489 (very strong). That is a once-in-a-while event, but only for the absolute top-tier chargers, and even then, it’s a survival mission. Light cross-off wind on the morning keeps it clean, but that size is not to be messed with. The rest of the second week fades back into onshore wind and messy conditions.

Overall, there are only a couple of true standouts here. Sunday the 2nd of August morning for a small, clean, offshore session, and Tuesday the 4th of August morning for a glassy, solid day. For the big-wave crew, Wednesday the 5th of August is the one to look at for clean, powerful, expert-only waves. Expect crowds at Haardebaai sometimes, especially on those clean days.

Rusty.

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