Haardebaai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Haardebaai. This is a sheltered reef setup, so it’s all about matching that southwest to west swell with the right wind. The water temp is sitting at 58°, almost a degree and a half cooler than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent steamer.

The week kicks off proper on Friday the 17th with a glassy morning. Swell is 6ft from the southwest, a solid groundswell at 11 seconds, pushing moderate wave energy (835). It’s clean, but the waves are that size for the advanced crew only. Saturday the 18th is a step down in size, with a morning NW offshore wind keeping things tidy on 5ft swell. That afternoon sees the period jump to 13 seconds for a 4ft clean wave, but it’s a bit marginal.

Sunday the 19th is where things get interesting. The morning shows a 7ft WSW groundswell with a 12-second period and a NW offshore wind. The combined energy is strong at 2037, and the conditions look excellent for the experienced surfer. This is your first real standout of the outlook.

Monday the 20th is a little more ordinary, with clean but unremarkable waves. Tuesday the 21st brings it back. The morning delivers 6ft of southwest groundswell at a very long 14 seconds, with clean cross-off winds and moderate energy (1244). It’s a very good prospect. But the afternoon is where it really cranks: 8ft from the southwest, same long 14-second period, and a massive jump in energy to 2276. Glassy cross-off winds make this an excellent session for the experienced.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd see the swell building, but the winds turn fresh and strong. Wednesday morning has 8ft with a 35 km/h offshore wind – that’s a lot of wind for that size, and the rating is marginal despite the offshore. Thursday afternoon is the real big one for the experts: a 15ft southwest swell with an incredible 18-second period, the combined energy going nuts at 12593. It’s clean and exceptional, but this is strictly for the big-wave specialists.

Friday the 24th is a write-off with onshore wind and huge swell. Saturday the 25th is blown out completely by a near-gale. Sunday the 26th is messy with light cross-onshore wind and big, unruly 10ft+ swell. Skip all of that.

But then Monday the 27th is a beauty. Glassy conditions, 8ft southwest groundswell at 15 seconds, strong energy (2717). Excellent for the experienced. Tuesday the 28th has a nice morning with 6ft and clean cross-off winds, but the afternoon goes onshore.

The second week gets less reliable, but there's a big, promising finish. Thursday the 30th morning shows 13ft from the west with clean cross-off winds and very strong energy (4306). Excellent for experts. The afternoon even better: 15ft west swell, same clean wind, energy at 6367. Friday the 31st keeps that west swell running at 15ft with gentle offshore winds and energy at 6300. Another excellent day for the big-wave crowd.

Saturday the 1st of August is messy with strong cross-off winds and a dropping, jumbled swell.

Overall, the two true standouts are Sunday the 19th for the first big clean push, and Tuesday the 21st afternoon for the perfect blend of size and glass. The end of the month looks promising for the heavy crew, but it's a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Read more