Haardebaai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's put it in feet and miles an hour for the crew who think in those numbers.

Honestly, looking at just Haardebaai for the whole stretch, it’s a waiting game. This is a sheltered reef that needs a west swell, and for the first chunk of days, the wind is just no good. It's frustrating.

From the 9th through the 11th, we’ve got rain and strong southerly winds pushing 28 mph or more, swinging onshore, making a right mess of the swell. The wave face is lumpy and choppy. Swell is pushing 8 to 11 feet early on, but it’s unsurfable. Don’t bother.

The 12th of August is where you start to get interested. The wind drops way back to a light breeze, still cross-onshore, but the swell is 6 feet with a super long 17–18 second period from the SW. That’s proper groundswell and the energy reading is high. The call is only “marginal,” so not perfect, but you can feel it building.

Now, Thursday the 13th is your first real standout. The morning has a light breeze from the ENE at 3 mph, still cross-onshore, but the swell is a clean 8 feet from the SW at a very long 18 seconds – the energy is pumping. Then the afternoon goes glassy. Absolutely flat calm. The swell stays at 8 feet from the WSW with 17 seconds. The report calls it “excellent for experienced surfers.” That afternoon window is the one to book off work for.

The next few days are smaller and cleaner. Friday the 15th brings in a moderate offshore from the NNW at 16 mph on a 6-foot WSW swell. The comment says “moderate offshore and clean.” A solid, fun session. Saturday the 16th keeps it clean with a gentle offshore on a 5-foot swell.

Then, Monday the 17th of August. This is a big one. Both sessions fire. The morning shows a moderate offshore from the NNW at 16 mph on a 10-foot WSW swell with a very long 16-second period. That’s massive energy. The afternoon holds the 10-foot swell, a little shorter period, but still a perfect offshore from the WNW. This is expert territory.

The 18th gets messy again with onshore winds, but look at the 22nd of August. Saturday morning starts with light cross-offshore breezes from the north and a clean 8-foot SSW swell. The afternoon, though, is a trophy: a glassy surface with an 8-foot S swell. That’s another “excellent” call.

And then the final standout is Monday the 24th. This could be the pick of the lot. A gentle cross-offshore from the NNW, a 10-foot SW swell with a very long 16-second period, and the highest combined energy of the whole run. That’s a heavy, lined-up, expert-only session at the reef.

The water is about 59°F, which is average for the season, so you know the drill.

Overall, a slow start, but there are three or four absolute crackers for the experienced surfer. The standout windows are Thursday 13th afternoon for the glass, and Monday 17th and the 22nd/24th for the big, clean groundswell. Wait until after the 12th and pick your days.

Rusty.

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