Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. We’re looking at a classic winter stretch for the Atlantic seaboard. The water is a proper chilly 64° at the moment, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want that 5/4 and booties. The big story is a massive pulse of SW groundswell that’s going to light up the reefs, but you’ve got to pick your windows carefully because the wind is going to be a proper menace.

The standout window is hands down Friday morning, July 24th. We’ve got a solid 13ft SW swell rolling in with a very long 16-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 8769 (strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving. The wind is a light WSW cross-off, so it’s going to be clean. This is expert territory only – that size and period will be too much for anyone but the experienced crew. The direction is right on the money for the optimum at Noordhoek, a reef setup that handles this kind of juice.

Saturday morning, July 25th, is your next best bet. Swell drops a touch to 8ft from the SW, with a 14-second period (still a proper groundswell). The energy is a still-strong 2246 (moderate wave energy). The wind goes glassy with a slight W air, making for clean, lined-up waves. This is a solid option for experienced surfers, not quite as gnarly as Friday.

Now, Sunday morning, July 26th, is still worth a look. You’ve got 8ft from the SW, 12-second period, and a north-northeast cross-off keeping it clean. The energy is 1871 (moderate wave energy). It’s a step down in quality from Saturday, but still a fun option for a surf.

The rest of the first week turns into a bit of a disaster. From Sunday afternoon, the wind clocks around and gets nasty, with onshore and cross-shore slop from the east and south-east ruining the quality. There’s plenty of swell, like 10ft on Tuesday, July 28th, but with a 19 mph onshore wind, it’s just a washing machine. Not worth your time.

We hit a real dry spell from the end of July through the first few days of August. The wind is a persistent easterly, blowing hard and cross-onshore, making a mess of even the smaller swells. It’s a solid week of poor conditions.

Then, we get a glimmer. On the morning of Wednesday, August 5th, we see a 10ft SW swell with a strong 3384 combined energy (strong wave energy). The wind is a fresh WSW cross-off, so it’ll be clean. The quality is marginal, but for a dedicated local, it’s worth paddling out for a look. The next morning, Thursday, August 6th, is a real wildcard. Swell is 10ft from the SE, but with a short 8-second period, and the wind is a light offshore from the northwest. The energy is 2092 (moderate wave energy). The short period might make it a bit fat at the reef, but offshore wind on a 10ft swell is a rare treat. This one is for the experts who know the bank.

Overall, the first week has a couple of stellar windows, but it’s followed by a long, frustrating gap. The best of the best is that Friday morning, July 24th session. Don’t sleep on the Thursday, August 6th morning if you’ve got the patience.

Rusty.

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