Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s going on for us.

We’ve got a single spot on the radar for this whole 16-day stretch: Noordhoek. It's a reef break, very consistent, and it’s got a decent exposure to the southwest swell. The water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 64°, about 3° under what we’d usually expect, so you’ll want the thick rubber.

The real standout, the one session you’d be a fool to miss, is Saturday 25th July, first thing in the morning. The sky is clear, and we’ve got a light 6 mph west wind blowing cross-offshore, keeping that 8 ft SW swell glassy. The period is a solid 14 seconds, giving it some proper groundswell punch with 2317 combined energy units. This is clean, powerful, and lined up for the intermediate crew. It’s a bit much for beginners at that size, but for anyone comfortable, it’s a gem. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, so get in early.

Saturday afternoon the wind swings cross-on from the east-southeast, and the forecast says the tide might be a bit questionable, so the quality drops. Sunday morning has a 8 ft SW swell and a light cross-off from the north-northeast, but with the wind picking up to 12 mph, it’s not as clean as the day before.

Monday 27th July kicks off with a 7 ft SW swell and a strong 22 mph west-southwest cross-off, which keeps the face clean but makes for a battle on the paddle out. By the afternoon, it’s a write-off with an 8 ft swell, lumpy cross-onshore wind and some rain.

Tuesday the 28th is a mess. A building 8 ft to 10 ft SW swell with onshore and cross-onshore winds in the 12 to 19 mph range. The combined energy is cranking, over 3300, but it’s blown out. Expert-only if you’re desperate.

From Wednesday 30th July through the start of August, the winds really start to howl out of the east-northeast. We’re looking at strong breezes, 22 to 31 mph, for days on end. The swell drops from 7 ft down to 2 ft. The surf quality is poor day after day, with a messy cross-chop or blown-out conditions. There’s a near-gale on the Saturday 1st August. Forget it.

We get a bit of a reprieve as we move into Sunday 2nd August. The wind drops to a gentle breeze, and a 5 ft SSW swell rolls in with a very long 19-second period. That’s all groundswell energy and it’s going to wrap nicely around the reef, but the cross-shore wind will leave a few ripples on the face. It’s marginal.

The best part of the second week lands on Monday 3rd August. A 8 ft to 8 ft SW swell, a 15-16 second period, and a light 9 mph west-southwest cross-off wind. The combined energy is sitting at over 2500. It’s clean, it’s meaty, and for an experienced surfer, this is the one to circle. The catch? It’s a week and a half away, so the certainty isn’t as high, but the signs are promising.

Tuesday 4th August sees the swell drop to 5 ft to 6 ft, with the wind turning onshore in the afternoon and chopping it up.

The real big stuff looks like it might come in again on Thursday 6th August. An 8 ft SW swell, a 15-second period, and northerly winds offering a light cross-off. That’s 3018 to 3109 units of energy, and the wind is clean. This is a serious swell, over 8 ft, so it’s for experienced surfers only at this reef.

Friday 7th August keeps the size at 10 ft, but the wind picks up to a strong 25 mph from the west-southwest. It’s cross-off, so the face will be clean, but it’s going to be a mission to get out. The energy is high, but the wind strength is a warning. Saturday 8th August offers another chance with a 8 ft SW swell and a moderate northerly cross-off, but the afternoon turns choppy.

After that, the winds get nasty again on Sunday 9th August with a near-gale, and the whole run fizzles out.

If you’re not an experienced surfer, the size on the better days is going to be intimidating. There are a few solid mornings here, but the windows are tight.

-Rusty

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