Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Noordhoek over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, so don’t expect much action straight away.

We start off with a pretty grim picture. Through the first week, beginning Monday the 10th of August, we’re dealing with a lot of onshore wind and messy conditions. There’s plenty of energy in the water – strong wave energy (2059) – but it’s coming with a cross-on wind and poor surf conditions. The water is much colder than normal, at 60°, over three degrees cooler than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit.

The wind doesn’t let up for days. Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th are still blown out with moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds, keeping things choppy and lumpy. The swell is hanging around 6 ft to 8 ft from the SSW, but the quality is just not there.

Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are still only marginal at best, with moderate cross-shore winds and a lot of chop. Energy drops a bit into the moderate range, around 855, but the wind continues to ruin it.

Finally, we get a turn. Saturday morning the 15th is the first real highlight. We’ve got a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the NNE, cleaning up a 4 ft SW swell. It’s not big, but it’s clean. That’s the best session of the first week, and it won’t be crowded during the week. The wave energy is a light 407.

Sunday the 16th afternoon also looks clean with a light cross-offshore from the WSW and a 4 ft SW swell. That’s another good window, with a light breeze and clean lines. The water temp anomaly hasn’t changed, so it’s still much colder than normal.

The real standout, though, is Tuesday morning the 18th. We get a glassy morning with no wind at all – just a slight air moving, leaving the surface like glass. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the SW, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a nice groundswell. The energy is strong (1398), and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the entire run – if you can get out that morning, you’ll be smiling. The water is still much colder than normal.

After that, it goes downhill again. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th are back to onshore chop. Friday the 21st is a write-off with near gale force winds.

Then we get another glimmer. Saturday morning the 22nd is clean with a light cross-offshore from the WSW and a 6 ft swell from the SE. This will be a fun, clean session with light breezes and good wave energy (772). Not as big as Tuesday, but still a good option.

The final days are a mixed bag, with Sunday the 23rd having very small surf, and then Monday the 24th morning looking marginal but with a big long-period groundswell building. The energy jumps to 2459, but by Monday afternoon it’s 10 ft and onshore again. Tuesday the 25th will see very large 12 ft swell from the SW, but with moderate cross-shore winds and chop, it’s only for the hardcore experts, and even then it’s messy.

Overall, if you can, get out on Saturday the 15th morning, Sunday the 16th afternoon, and definitely don’t miss the glassy session on Tuesday the 18th morning. That’s the one.

Rusty.

Read more