Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in on the surf outlook for our little corner of the coast.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a proper pulse of swell hitting, but the wind is going to be the main character for a while. We’re looking at a solid run of south-west groundswell, but the first week is a bit of a battle with the elements before things clean up nicely for the second week.

The first real opportunity is Thursday morning, 6 August, at Noordhoek (Western Cape). It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got to start. There’s a solid 12 ft south-west swell with a period of 13 seconds—a proper groundswell. The wave energy is very strong (4277 combined energy). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the west at 3 mph, so the waves will be clean. It’s a reef break that is very consistent and exposed to the swell, so it’ll be handling that energy well. The crowd factor is "sometimes", so you might have a few out, but it’s worth the paddle. This is for experienced surfers only though; 12 ft is too big for beginners. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird there.

After that morning, the wind swings around and conditions get messy. Thursday afternoon turns to a fresh cross-shore breeze from the south-west at 19 mph and the quality drops right off. From there, we go into a rough patch. Friday through to the start of the following week is all onshore or cross-onshore wind with lumpy, choppy surf. The swell stays solid—8 ft to 12 ft—but it’s blown out. Not worth paddling out for a proper session.

There’s a real gap of about five days of poor conditions before we see a glimmer of hope. Friday morning, 14 August, things start to turn. The swell drops to 4 ft from the south-west, but the wind goes light cross-offshore from the north-northeast at 9 mph. The wave energy is moderate (668). The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions,” and while it’s a smaller day, it’ll be clean. It’s not a standout compared to the early big swell, but it’s a nice, manageable size.

Then, Sunday morning, 16 August, is the real sleeper. The swell is only 4 ft from the south-west, but the wind is glassy—dead calm from the northeast at 3 mph. The wave energy is moderate (428). It’ll be glassy, clean, and a total joy. This is a classic “get out there early” session. The crowd might show up when it’s that good, but it’ll be worth dealing with.

The following week, from Monday 17 August through Thursday 20 August, offers more clean, cross-off wind conditions, but the swell stays small, between 4 ft and 6 ft. It’s consistent, clean, and fine for a paddle, but nothing to write home about. Tuesday morning, 18 August, sees a little bump up to 7 ft with light cross-shore wind, but it’s marginal. Not a standout.

The long-range promise for Friday morning, 21 August, shows a 7 ft south-west swell with a 13-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, so keep an eye on that one.

Overall, the best on offer is Thursday morning, 6 August for the big, powerful, clean session, and Sunday morning, 16 August for the small, glassy, soul-surf session.

Rusty.

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