
Surf Forecasts:
Noordhoek surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 8,981 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Noordhoek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the Cape Peninsula.
First off, the water is real cold at the moment, about 63°, which is much colder than normal for this time of year – a solid 4° below average. You’ll want a thick steamer.
The forecast starts with a bit of a blank. There’s no worthwhile surf from now through the weekend. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are a complete write-off with strong NE winds making a mess of things. We’re looking at a gap of a couple of days before anything is worth paddling out for.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday morning, August 3rd. It’s still small, just 4 ft of swell from the SW, but the wind finally clocks around to a gentle NE breeze, giving us a clean, cross-off flow. The combined energy is moderate (616). It’s not a standout, but it’s a start. The afternoon gets messy again, so get in early.
Tuesday morning, August 4th, is similar – clean 4 ft SW swell with a light N wind. Good for a cruise if you’re keen. The afternoon, though, brings a strong WSW wind, which will be clean but howling.
Now, the big one. Thursday morning, August 6th, is the absolute standout of the entire 16-day window. The swell is a solid 16 ft from the SW (combined energy of 8148 – very strong) with a 13-second period. The wind is moderate WSW, cross-off, and the conditions are clean. This is proper, heavy groundswell. But – and this is a major caveat – at 16 ft, this is expert only territory. It’s too big for anyone but the most experienced. This is a reef break (Noordhoek), so that long-period SW groundswell will set up beautifully, but it will be a serious, heavy paddle. The crowds are sometimes an issue here, but on a day like this, you’ll have the place to yourself for good reason. The afternoon is still huge at 15 ft, but the wind swings cross-shore, creating a bit of a chop.
The rest of the first week and into the second week is a story of massive swell but terrible wind. Friday the 7th (10 ft), Saturday the 8th (10-12 ft), and Sunday the 9th (10 ft) are all plagued by strong onshore and cross-shore winds, making it a washing machine. The surf quality is poor. At that size and with those winds, this spot is going to look more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle.
Later in the window, things calm down but the wind is still a problem. By Wednesday the 12th, the swell drops to 3 ft but with a very long 16-second period from the SSW. The wind is a strong W, but it’s cross-off, so it’s clean. It’s a small, slow day. Thursday the 13th morning has a cleaner 5 ft swell from the SW with a 16-second period – that’s that long period groundswell, which will be straight and fast at the beach, but at this size it’s a fun, mellow wave for a longboard. The afternoons after the 12th stay small and generally get hit by onshore winds again.
So, to sum it up: the only real standout is Thursday morning, August 6th, for experts only. If you’re not an expert, you’re better off waiting for a cleaner day in the second week, but the forecasts are less certain out that far.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ENE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Tue night, fresh winds from the ENE by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
197 | 150 | 106 | 242 | 335 | 444 | 609 | 591 | 465 | 511 | 433 | 308 | 328 | 1076 | 1737 | 8148 | 7670 | 5508 | 3555 | 2535 | 1751 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:29PM1.84m | 5:37AM1.73m | 6:01PM1.82m | 6:10AM1.67m | 6:36PM1.77m | 6:47AM1.59m | 7:15PM1.70m | 7:31AM1.48m | 8:04PM1.60m | 8:28AM1.37m | 9:12PM1.49m | 9:57AM1.28m | 10:47PM1.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:11AM0.26m | 11:33PM0.37m | 11:40AM0.28m | 00:06AM0.39m | 12:12PM0.33m | 00:42AM0.45m | 12:47PM0.41m | 1:24AM0.54m | 1:28PM0.52m | 2:17AM0.64m | 2:23PM0.65m | 3:36AM0.73m | 3:50PM0.76m | ||||||||
7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | |
— | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 25 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | E 11 | ESE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | E 9 | E 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
197 | 150 | 106 | 242 | 335 | 1379 | 862 | 706 | 716 | 490 | 377 | 290 | 328 | 1076 | 1737 | 85 | 66 | 5508 | 3555 | 2535 | 1751 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | E 9 |
40 | 34 | 75 | 16 | 15 | 444 | 609 | 591 | 465 | 511 | 433 | 308 | 230 | 220 | 145 | — | 68 | 44 | 28 | 233 | 355 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 10 | S 13 | — | S 9 | SE 14 | S 13 | — | S 12 | S 18 | WSW 5 | SW 14 | W 10 | — | — | — | E 10 | — | — | S 11 |
— | — | 18 | 13 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | — | 3 | 7 | 53 | 214 | 8 | — | — | — | 44 | — | — | 37 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 13 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | WSW 4 | SW 13 | SW 13 | — | ENE 6 | — | — |
703 | 672 | 743 | 2453 | 2001 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 23 | — | — | — | 19 | 8148 | 7670 | — | 184 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 206 | 206 | 206 | 38 | 206 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 65 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 66 | 264 | 207 | 4 | 65 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











