Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here with a look at what’s on the cards for the next fortnight at Noordhoek. This is a reef setup, fairly exposed to the swell, and it’s known to be very consistent, so there’s usually something to look at. But this is a mixed bag of clean windows and some real grunt.

The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year, no big surprises there.

Right, let’s go. Monday the 13th is a write-off. Nothing doing with messy onshore junk. Tuesday the 14th, you’ll get a tiny pulse – we’re talking a clean morning with a light offshore breeze from the NW, pushing that skinny 2ft SSW swell into something you can actually paddle out on. It’s only small, but it’s clean, and the combined wave energy is weak (109), so it’s a cruiser session for a longboard.

Wednesday the 15th is ordinary. The morning has a tiny 1ft wave with a longer period (12 seconds), so it’s clean but weak (72). The afternoon sees a bump in size to 5ft, but the period drops right off to a rubbish 7 seconds, so it’s just a lumpy mess with moderate energy (371).

Now, the first real standout hits us on Thursday morning, July 16th. The stars align. We’ve got a solid 10ft SW swell rolling in with a cracking 14-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the NNE, keeping it clean. The combined energy is pumping at 3186, and the conditions are flagged as excellent for experienced surfers. This is not a beginner wave; at 10ft with that period, it’s going to be a proper handful, but for the crew who can handle it, get ready for some serious power and long walls.

Friday the 17th is a mess. That big swell holds at 10-12ft, but the wind goes to hell on Friday afternoon with a strong cross-onshore and rain. Not for surfing. Saturday the 18th is just as brutal with strong winds.

Look for Sunday morning, July 19th. The swell drops to a very manageable 4ft, but it’s a long 14-second period. The wind is light from the NNW and cross-offshore. It’s clean, and the energy is moderate (765). That’s a nice, crowd-pleasing window for a more relaxed session on the reef.

The rest of that week into the next is a mess of strong winds and building, then fading, swell. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st see the swell jumping to 10ft again, but it’s either blown out or onshore and choppy. The Tuesday afternoon has a huge 18-second period but with a cross-onshore wind, so that raw energy (6592) gets wasted. Not good.

For the second week, keep an eye on Thursday morning, July 23rd. There’s a 13ft SW swell with a 13-second period. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore from the W, so it’s clean. The energy is colossal (5697). But at that size, it’s strictly for the experts only.

Then we have Friday morning, July 24th. A beautiful window: a clean, glassy morning with a proper offshore breeze from the NNW. The swell is a more manageable 7ft from the SSW, with a 12-second period. The energy is strong (1547), and conditions are flagged as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a seriously good option.

Heading into the weekend, Saturday morning, July 25th sees a 10ft SW swell, clean with light cross-shore wind, so there’s power there (3360). But look ahead to Monday morning, July 27th. This is the other major standout. The forecast shows a 13ft SW swell with a 15-second period – that is very long-period groundswell. To top it off, the wind is almost nothing from the NNE, a slight air, giving you near-flat calm conditions. The energy is immense (6687), and it’s flagged as exceptional for experts. For the slab at Noordhoek, that’s going to be a freight train. If you can handle it, that’s your session.

To be honest, Monday the 27th and Thursday the 23rd mornings are the ones that have my heart pumping. That’s the heavy stuff for the experts. Sunday the 19th is the safer bet for a fun, clean session. The rest of the time, the wind is just too messy or the swell is too raw to enjoy.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty

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