Haardebaai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got the outlook for Haardebaai.

Right off the bat, this is a tough stretch. For the first week, we are looking at a solid run of poor conditions. The wind is just relentlessly onshore or cross-onshore from the southeast and east-southeast, and it’s blowing hard – 18 to 28 mph – day after day. Even though there’s some decent sized swell in the water, especially on the 16th and 17th with 8ft and 7ft from the southwest, it’s all just getting wrecked. The combined energy is strong (3052 on Wednesday morning), but it doesn’t matter when it’s that messy. This is not a time for a paddle board; you’d want a kite if anything.

Water temp is running a bit colder than normal at 57°F.

We finally get a bit of a breather on Tuesday the 22nd. The morning goes glassy with a light southerly breeze, and we get a clean 3ft swell from the SW with a period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (451). It’s not big, but it’s the first real window of clean surf. That morning session is the best we’ve seen so far.

Then the real standout pops up on Wednesday the 23rd. Morning kicks off with light rain and a clean offshore wind from the NNW (12 mph), hitting that 8ft SW swell (11-second period). The combined energy jumps to 1355. By the afternoon, the wind drops to virtually nothing from the northwest, and the swell pushes up to 10ft, with energy at 1965. This is the best on offer. It’s a reef break that takes a west swell, and with the wind cleaning it up, the shape should be there. Keep in mind, this is for experts at this size – 10ft is serious. You’ll get good, long-period groundswell here, so expect solid sets with some time between them.

Thursday the 24th holds well, with strong offshore winds from the NW (25 mph) and a 8ft swell (13-second period) in the morning, and a 10ft swell (14-second period) in the afternoon. The energy is very strong (2424 and 3167). Again, that strong offshore wind makes it clean, but it’s powerful and hard to paddle into.

Friday the 25th morning is still looking good with a gentle offshore from the NW, a 7ft SW swell, and energy at 1351. Clean, but dropping off a bit.

After that, the winds start messing with it again on the weekend of the 26th and 27th, with onshore wind picking up. Sunday the 27th morning, though, does have a moderate offshore from the NW with a 7ft WSW swell (1705 energy) – a solid last call.

Into the final week of the month, the swell fades significantly. It’s mostly small, weak, and just not worth the effort. On the 1st of October, there’s a tiny swell (5ft) but it’s from the southeast with a miserable 5-second period – that’s windswell, not real surf.

So, to cut it short: suffer through the first week of blown-out, onshore wind. Tuesday the 22nd is your first clean window. The real call is Wednesday the 23rd through Friday the 25th – that’s the pulse of big, clean, offshore swell. Make your plan for Wednesday if you’re an expert and want the biggest, cleanest waves of the period. After that, it’s small and fading.

Rusty.

Read more