Jongensfontein Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. This is Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, with some proper windows of opportunity and some real slop to dodge. But that’s the game we play.

The main story for this period is that we’re dealing with a lot of junky, short-period swell and a persistent cross-onshore breeze for a good chunk of the time. The first real bright spot doesn't show up until we get past the first week. If you’re looking for a paddle, be prepared to be patient.

The first few days are pretty grim for any sort of quality. Wednesday the 2nd has sizeable waves at 8ft, but the SE wind is going to chop it all up. Thursday the 3rd gets messy with heavy rain and a strong SE wind, and the swell is all over the shop. Friday the 4th through Sunday morning the 6th is more of the same – plenty of moving water with 7ft+ swell, but it’s coming in short-period and the E/ESE winds are going to make it lumpy and messy. Honestly, for a lot of this, the setup looks more interesting for the kite crew than for us with our surfboards.

The first glimpse of hope comes on Monday morning the 7th. The wind swings around to a light WSW cross-off, and while the swell has backed off to 5ft, it’s cleaned right up. The combined energy is still strong at 1532 but it’s a far cry from the chaos of the weekend. That Monday morning is a real chance to get a few clean ones, even if it’s not big. It’s the calm before things get interesting.

Then we get to Tuesday morning the 8th. This is where things get seriously interesting. The wind drops to almost nothing – we’re talking glassy conditions – with a light SE air. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SSW with a period of 12 seconds. The energy is moderate at 683, but it’s clean and lined up. For a low-tide reef break like Jongensfontein, this is about as perfect as it gets for a fun, mellow session. If you can get out, this is going to be a standout.

The rest of that week is a bit of a wash-out again, with cross-on winds making things choppy. The swell stays in that 3ft to 5ft range, but the wind just keeps messing it up.

Now, for the really interesting stuff. Look at Saturday the 12th of September. The forecast shows a 10ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind is light from the SE. The forecast calls it “too big for this break,” and with 3343 energy behind it, that’s no joke. This is well over the 8ft mark, so this is expert territory only. It’s a big, powerful groundswell, and even though it’s massive, it might have some serious shape to it before it just gets overwhelming. If you’re an expert on a big board, this could be a proper session, but for anyone else, it’s a day to watch from the top of the dune. The same story repeats on Monday the 14th with another 10ft swell, this time from the E with a short 8-second period. That one’s a bit too junky and straight to be much fun. It’s big, but unsurfable slop. That’s a full-on “stay on the beach” day.

After that, the energy drops again, and we’re left with weak, inconsistent waves through the 15th and 16th. The cleanest look might be Wednesday morning the 16th with a 4ft SSW swell at 12 seconds and a light S wind, but the energy is weak at 656. It’s a poor-looking end to the period.

So, to sum it up: the standout is that Tuesday morning the 8th – catch it if you can. The Saturday the 12th is huge and gnarly, but only for the experts. The rest is a fight against the wind or a battle against the swell size. It’s not the greatest run of surf, but those windows are there for those who are keen.

Alright, that’s the word for the next sixteen days. Stay safe, and pick your moments.

Rusty.

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