Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Noordhoek. This is a reef break that fires pretty consistently, and it needs a solid SW swell to work. The water's running about 63°, which is a touch colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit.

The first real window of opportunity is Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September. We’ve got a solid 10ft SW groundswell, with a 13-second period, pushing a massive amount of energy our way (3436). The best part is the wind is glassy from the ESE. That’s going to make for some seriously clean, lined-up waves. This is big surf, over 8ft, so it’s strictly for the experienced crew. It’s going to be a standout session for the guys who can handle it, and yeah, the crowds will be around, but for a morning like this, it's worth it.

That afternoon, the wind picks up to 20 km/h from the ESE, turning it cross-on and choppy, and the quality drops right off. So, it’s a morning mission or nothing.

The rest of the week is a total bust. Thursday through to the following Monday is plagued by onshore winds and poor conditions. We’ve got some decent size, like a 10ft swell on Friday morning and a massive 12ft on Sunday afternoon, but with 30-45 km/h winds tearing it to shreds, it’s a complete mess. Don’t even bother.

There’s a tiny glimmer on Monday, the 7th of September. The morning has a 7ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NE. It’s got a bit of energy (1857) and is described as having a slight cross-chop, so it’s not perfect. The afternoon is cleaner with a light breeze from the SW, but the rating is still only marginal. It’s a maybe, not a standout.

We then hit a long dry spell. Tuesday the 8th through to Thursday the 10th are all marginal at best, with small, weak swells and messy winds. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, on Friday the 11th of September, we get a proper look-in. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore wind from the N at 15 km/h. The swell is 5ft from the SW with an 11-second period. It’s not huge, but the conditions are described as “clean,” and it’s a very good surf forecast. This is a solid option for intermediate surfers.

The next real standout is a long way off, on Wednesday the 16th of September. The morning has a 4ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNE. This is described as “very good surf conditions,” and with that period, the waves will be packed with energy and have long, clean lines. It’s a smaller day, so it’s one for everyone.

Then, on Thursday the 17th of September, we see a massive 12ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period rolling in. The morning has a light cross-on wind, which is a little worrying, but the energy is enormous (5273). The forecast is promising, but it’s a long way out, so we’ll have to see how it plays out. If the wind holds, that could be the session of the forecast.

So, to boil it down: the best on offer is this Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September, for the big-wave crew. For the rest of us, target Friday the 11th of September morning for a clean, fun session, or keep an eye on the 16th and 17th for some potentially epic long-period groundswell.

Rusty.

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