Haardebaai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the ocean's got cookin' for Haardebaai over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but it ain't gonna be all clean and easy. The water is sitting at 58° which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so make sure you’ve got the extra rubber on.

The action starts proper on the morning of Sunday the 16th. There’s a 6ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and a moderate offshore breeze keeping things clean. The wave energy is pumping at 1475 – that’s moderate but powerful for a reef. Things get a touch bigger in the afternoon, up to 8ft, but the wind swings more cross-off, making it a bit more of a handful.

Monday the 17th is where my eyes light up. We're looking at an 8ft SW swell with a 13-second period and a gentle offshore wind that’s going to have those lines holding up perfectly. The energy reads 2528, which is strong. This is big, clean, and thumping. This is for experienced surfers only – it’s got some weight to it.

Tuesday and Wednesday are blown out. The wind swings onshore and it gets messy, with surf pushing up to 10ft. Not worth your time unless you’re a masochist. The energy values are high (up to 3036), but with that onshore wind, it’s just a washing machine.

Thursday the 20th looks poor too, with a strong SE wind, but then Friday the 21st is a game-changer. The wind drops to glass and that SW swell, although a bit smaller at 7ft, is going to be clean as a whistle. The energy is moderate at 1126, but the lack of wind will make it feel way better than the numbers suggest.

Saturday the 22nd has a strong offshore wind in the morning which could make it hollow, but it might be a real battle to get out. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze and the swell bumps back up to 8ft with a 13-second period – this one could be a sneaky good session.

Then we go quiet and blown out again from Sunday the 23rd through Monday the 24th. There’s a huge 12ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period on the 23rd, but the onshore wind is howling. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Tuesday the 25th is still not great, but there’s a weird 22-second period swell in the afternoon at 5ft. It’s there, but it might be too straight-breaking for this reef. We're looking at a few days of waiting here.

The real gem of the whole forecast is on Wednesday the 26th. The wind is dead calm, glassy, and the swell is a solid 10ft SW with a 16-second period. The energy is strong, reading 3741. This is classic, powerful, clean groundswell for experts only. This will be the standout day.

Thursday the 27th offers up a nice 7ft SW swell with a gentle offshore wind. Very clean, a bit more manageable, and a great option if Wednesday was too heavy.

Friday the 28th gets a bit wild again with a strong offshore wind, but it’s not ideal.

Then we have a bit of a lull until we get to the big finale on Sunday the 30th of August. The models are hinting at a massive 13ft SW groundswell with a 17-second period. The energy is off the charts at 8803. The morning is clean with light winds, but this is only for the most expert of experts. It’s a promising call, but it’s a long way out, so don’t book your flights just yet.

After that, Monday the 31st looks blown out again. So, in short: hit Monday the 17th, Friday the 21st, and the 26th is your best bet. The 30th could be all-time if it lines up.

Rusty, out.

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