Surf Forecasts:
Noordhoek surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 18s period, S swell with 14,374 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Noordhoek this week:
The surf forecast for Noordhoek over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 12s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Noordhoek in the next 16 days are 5.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Noordhoek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up at Noordhoek, but it’s a real mixed bag with a big gap later on. The water temp is 62°F, which is about 4°F colder than usual for this time of year—definitely noticeable, so suit up.
We start Monday, 31 August with a clean morning. Noordhoek (a reef break) is seeing a 6ft SW swell, 12-second period, with light cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 3 mph. The combined energy is 985, which is moderate. It’s looking good, and with the wind staying slight, expect clean waves. Crowds are sometimes there, but no issue early. By Monday afternoon though, the wind swings S at 9 mph, turning cross-on and chopping things up—surf drops to 6ft, and it’s marginal.
Tuesday, 1 September, is the standout for the first week. Morning glass: wind goes glassy from the SSW at 3 mph, with a 7ft SW swell at 12 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1291, solid moderate. It’s going to be clean, punchy, and excellent. The wind stays light, and waves are well-shaped. Afternoon brings 8ft SW swell, but a cross-onshore wind from the SSE at 6 mph makes it tricky.
Wednesday, 2 September, morning is the pick for experienced surfers. A 10ft SW groundswell at 13 seconds rolls in, combined energy hitting 3436—strong. Light cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph keeps it clean. This is proper, powerful surf. Too big for beginners, but for the crew who know what they’re doing, it’s a treat. Afternoon stays big but gets cross-onshore.
Then Thursday, 3 September, it turns ugly. Strong onshore winds, rain, and messy surf—5ft to 7ft, combined energy drops but conditions are poor. This continues through Friday, Saturday, and into Sunday, 6 September, where a massive 16ft S swell at 18 seconds shows up, but with 28 mph onshore winds, it’s unsurfable. Kite surfers might have a look, but for paddle surfing, stay home.
Monday, 7 September, to Wednesday, 9 September, sees strong cross-onshore winds and dropping swell—small, messy, and not worth the paddle. A long gap in quality starts here.
There’s a brief glimmer on Thursday, 10 September, afternoon: glassy conditions and a 2ft SW swell at 13 seconds, combined energy 162. It’s surfable but not exciting. After that, another run of poor conditions with onshore wind and lumpy seas through the second weekend.
Monday, 14 September, morning offers a 7ft SW swell at 10 seconds, moderate cross-shore wind from the SW at 16 mph—marginal. Afternoon lightens up to 7ft with gentle cross-shore chop, but still not great.
Tuesday, 15 September, morning pumps an 18ft S swell, 10 seconds, but 12 mph cross-onshore wind from the E makes it a mess. Strong energy at 5883, but conditions are poor. Afternoon stays big and wind-affected.
To wrap it up: the best session in the whole 16-day window is Tuesday, 1 September morning—clean, glassy, 7ft SW swell. Wednesday, 2 September morning is the big-wave standout for experts. After that, it’s a long stretch of poor to ordinary conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed night, min 14°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SE on Thu night, moderate winds from the E by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | S 18 | SSW 16 | S 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
974 | 780 | 754 | 1291 | 1866 | 3576 | 3436 | 2699 | 2088 | 1290 | 785 | 3843 | 2119 | 204 | 254 | 275 | 296 | 2764 | 14374 | 9261 | 5286 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:31PM1.92m | 5:44AM1.75m | 6:04PM1.85m | 6:20AM1.65m | 6:42PM1.73m | 7:01AM1.51m | 7:29PM1.57m | 8:00AM1.36m | 8:41PM1.41m | 9:45AM1.26m | 10:43PM1.34m | 11:58AM1.32m | 00:33AM1.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:13AM0.22m | 11:38PM0.29m | 11:44AM0.29m | 00:12AM0.37m | 12:17PM0.40m | 00:51AM0.50m | 12:57PM0.55m | 1:40AM0.65m | 1:52PM0.72m | 3:03AM0.79m | 3:45PM0.85m | 5:39AM0.79m | 6:28PM0.78m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
— | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 8 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | S 18 | SSW 16 | S 14 |
974 | 780 | 754 | 1291 | 1866 | 3576 | 3436 | 2699 | 2088 | 1290 | 785 | 282 | 236 | 204 | 254 | 275 | 296 | 2764 | 14374 | 9261 | 5286 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | ENE 9 | E 8 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 9 | S 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SSW 10 | E 8 | — | — |
167 | 160 | 118 | 120 | 96 | 65 | 40 | 37 | — | 26 | 69 | — | 19 | 133 | 100 | 76 | 45 | 325 | 195 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | S 7 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 11 | S 8 | — | SW 26 | — | — | — | — |
11 | 33 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 182 | 12 | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 9 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | E 8 | E 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | 163 | 522 | 3843 | 2119 | 1233 | 1046 | 678 | 807 | 603 | — | 191 | 92 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 206 | 294 | 709 | 709 | 661 | 238 | 661 | 689 | 661 | 666 | 661 | 628 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Noordhoek Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Noordhoek provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Noordhoek can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Noordhoek surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Noordhoek) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Noordhoek may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Noordhoek is 11 km (7 miles) from the city of Port Elizabeth. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape (South), look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











