Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks. Rusty here, with a good look at what’s coming down the line for our local zone. The long-range models are starting to paint a picture, and it's a mixed bag with some real standouts tucked away in there. Water temps are sitting about average for the time of year.

We are looking at a bit of a slow start. There's plenty of swell, but the wind's up and the quality is shabby for the first couple of days. Wednesday and Thursday (26th and 27th of August) are a right-off, with that fresh cross-onshore breeze ruining a solid 12ft groundswell. The wave energy is huge, sitting at 8131 on Wednesday morning, but it's a mess. You’d want a kite for that, not a paddle. Thursday is a little smaller at around 7ft, but still cross-shore and choppy. Not worth the wetsuit.

Things start to clean up on Friday morning (28th of August). It’s not big, dropping to 4ft from the south with an 11-second period, but the wind swings to a light, cross-offshore breeze. For a sliver of the morning, we get clean waves and "expect good surf conditions". That’s your early-bird special – the best on offer until next week. The combined swell energy is low at 499, so it’s small and weak, but it’s smooth. The afternoon goes lumpy again, so hit it early.

Saturday (29th of August) has similar small, clean waves in the morning, with the wind holding cross-off, but it’s only 3ft and marginal. By Sunday (30th of August), the swell jumps back up to 8ft, but it’s short period, only 7-8 seconds, which will be crumbly and weak for the size. The wind is clean, but the wave quality is just “marginal.”

The Real Standout – Monday (31st of August) and Tuesday (1st of September)

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Monday morning (31st of August) sees a clean 6ft WSW swell with a 12-second period and a light cross-offshore breeze. The system says "expect very good surf conditions." That’s what we want to hear. Wave energy is a solid 846 – a proper, powerful groundswell hitting a reef break that handles the direction well. No crowds mentioned, which is a bonus.

But the absolute pick of the bunch looks to be Tuesday morning (1st of September). We get a 6ft WSW swell, 12-second period, and a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 1158, and it’s flagged as "expect very good surf conditions." That morning session is shaping up to be the standout of the entire 16-day window. The afternoon on Tuesday gets ugly with a 28 mph wind, so the window is tight.

The Big Stuff and the Lull

Wednesday morning (2nd of September) is a beast – a massive 15ft SW groundswell with a 13-second period, but the report explicitly says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the energy (6830) is terrifying. It’s also raining. After that, the tail end of the forecast gets a bit messy again with onshore winds and lumpy conditions through the first week of September. There’s a small, clean window again on the morning of the 10th of September, with a tiny 3ft swell and light winds, but it's eleven days out and a long shot.

So, for you, set the alarm for dawn on Friday (28th of August) for a small clean-up session. But don't sleep on Monday morning (31st of August) and definitely lock in Tuesday morning (1st of September) – that’s the one.

Rusty.

Read more