Jongensfontein Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for the next sixteen days at Jongensfontein. Straight up, I have to be honest with you – there’s a long, painful stretch of slop and blown-out junk before we get to anything worth getting excited about. The first real chance of a wave doesn’t come until Monday the 14th of September, and even then, it’s for the brave. That’s a solid ten-day gap from the start of the period with absolutely nothing worth paddling out for.

The pattern starts off nasty. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are both written off with strong onshore winds and lumpy, poor surf conditions. The swell is there, but it’s all over the place with heights around 8ft to 12ft, and the wind is howling from the southeast at 22 to 28 mph, onshore and messy. Don’t even think about it.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th don’t get any better. Cross-onshore winds keep things lumpy and blown out, with swell heights fluctuating between 4ft and 8ft, but the combined energy is moderate to strong on Saturday (646 to 676), then jumps to very strong on Sunday (5189) – but it’s all wind-affected junk. The near gale on Sunday arvo at 31 mph from the east is just kite-surfing weather.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are still marginal. The swell drops a bit, but you’re dealing with light cross-shore and cross-onshore breezes, and the wave quality is poor. The combined energy Monday morning is still strong (1903), but it’s not clean. Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are small and mostly onshore again, with swell heights around 3ft to 6ft and weak to moderate energy. Not worth the drive.

The second week rolls in, and Friday the 11th through Sunday the 13th are all poor again – fresh to near gale cross-onshore winds, lumpy, and messy. The combined energy is moderate to strong, but you’re fighting the wind the whole time.

Now, here’s the standout. Monday the 14th of September – this is the one that’s got my attention. The morning session at Jongensfontein could be special. We’ve got a 10ft SSW swell with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the wind is light from the NNW at 9 mph, which is a clean cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is a massive 3811, so there’s plenty of power. But, and I have to say it, the swell is predicted to be too big for this reef break. It’s an exposed reef, and with that size and period, it’s going to be heavy and only for experts. The water temp is about 61°, which is normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The break is consistent, but crowds are possible here, so keep that in mind if you’re heading out. The optimum swell direction for this spot is south, and this is coming from the SSW, so it’s a good match.

Tuesday the 15th also has potential, with a 10ft ESE swell in the morning, light cross-shore winds, and high combined energy (1993). Again, the wave comment says it’s too big for the break, so it’s a serious, expert-only day. The afternoon is more onshore, so stick to the morning.

After that, Wednesday the 16th through to Friday the 18th fades back into marginal and poor conditions – fresh winds, smaller swell, and lumpy seas. The run finishes with moderate energy but cross-onshore winds, so nothing to write home about.

So, to sum it up: the first ten days are a write-off. The only real window of opportunity is Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th, but it’s big, powerful, and only for the experienced crew. If you’re a beginner, stay on the beach those days. The rest of the window is slim pickings.

Rusty.

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