Hout Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is gonna be a bit of a mixed bag of a run, so strap in.

First off, the pick of the bunch early on is Hout Bay (breakwater). The water is sitting right around average for this time of year, so nothing funky there. We’ve got a solid Thursday morning coming up with a clean 5ft SSW swell and a light offshore breeze from the NW. The period is a nice 11 seconds, giving you proper push, and the combined energy is a moderate (821). It’s gonna be clean and lined up. This is a sheltered spot, so it handles the size well, but it’s inconsistent, so don’t expect a wave every minute. The break is a beginner-friendly breakwater, so this is a good session for getting into it.

Friday morning is the absolute standout of the forecast. The swell drops to 3ft from the WSW, but the period is a massive 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The wind is glassy, just a slight air from the NNW at 3 mph. This is about as clean as it gets. The energy is moderate (680), but with that period, the waves will be well-shaped and have some real grunt for their size. Just keep in mind, a long period like this can make beach breaks close out, but here at a breakwater, it’s going to peel nicely. This is your best wave.

The weekend gets messy. Saturday morning is still 5ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore and the quality drops. Saturday afternoon is a write-off with 6ft and a 16 mph cross-on. Sunday is even bigger, 8ft, but with the same onshore wind, it’s just a lumpy, blown-out mess. Monday cleans up again with a 6ft WSW swell and a NW offshore. The energy is high (998), and it’s clean. That’s a good session for the more experienced.

Then there’s a big window. Tuesday, September 1st, sees a substantial SW swell building to 8ft, with a 16 mph NNW cross-off wind. The period is 13 seconds, and the energy is strong (2201). It’s clean, but at 8ft, this is getting into expert territory. The waves will have serious power. By Tuesday afternoon, it’s 10ft, still offshore, and the energy is very strong (2787). This is big, heavy, and not for the faint-hearted.

Wednesday, September 2nd, and Thursday, September 3rd, are a total loss. Gale-force winds from the SE and SSE, with onshore winds up to 44 mph. The swell is a chaotic 12ft to 13ft. This is kitesurfing weather, not surfing. The energy is extreme (6662 at one point), but it’s just a stormy mess.

We get a reprieve on Saturday, September 5th. The morning looks clean with a 10ft SSE swell and a light NW offshore. The period is short, 9 seconds, so it’s a windswell, but it’s clean. The energy is still high (1653). It’s a full-on, powerful day for experts only. The afternoon gets a bit cross-shore, so not as good.

Sunday, September 6th, is still clean with an 8ft SSE swell and a cross-off wind, but the period is still short. The energy is high (1657). It’s clean, but short period means it’s a bit walled up and not as good as a groundswell.

Monday, September 7th, the swell drops to 6ft from the SSE, with a NW offshore. The energy drops to a moderate (471). It’s clean, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so the waves are a bit weak and unorganized. It’s surfable, but nothing special.

After that, the window closes. The rest of the run is either small, weak, or the wind is onshore. There’s a gap from about Tuesday, September 9th, onwards where the surf is just not worth paddling out for.

So, the call is Friday morning, August 28th. That glassy, long-period WSW groundswell at Hout Bay is the standout. Get in the water.

Rusty.

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