Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, boys and girls, Rusty here with the lowdown for the local break over the next couple weeks.

We’re looking at a classic Cape winter pattern – a slow start, then a proper south-west groundswell hits, with a few golden windows of glassy perfection. The big winner here is Noordhoek on Wednesday, 2nd September... but I’m getting ahead of myself.

The first few days are small. Saturday the 29th offers a weak 3ft SW swell with a cross-off breeze – clean but tiny. Not worth paddling out for. Sunday the 30th jumps to 8ft, but the wind is cross-off and stiff, making it lumpy and bumpy. The energy is starting to climb though.

Monday morning, 31st August is the first real gem. We’ve got 6ft of SW groundswell, a 12-second period, and the wind goes completely glassy – dead still. The combined energy is 985 – moderate, but the quality is sky-high. Noordhoek on a reef with zero wind? That’s as good as it gets. You’ll have clean, lined-up walls. The water temp is about average for the season.

Tuesday morning, 1st September keeps the run going – 7ft of SW, 11-second period, light cross-off breeze. Clean again, solid energy (982). Keep the board in the car.

But the one to circle on the calendar: Wednesday morning, 2nd September. The swell jumps to a solid 12ft from the SW, with a 13-second period. That’s big, powerful groundswell. The combined energy is a massive 4055 – strong to very strong. And the wind? Glass again. Dead flat. This is expert territory – paddling into heavy, deep-water waves. If you’re not comfortable in double-overhead plus, watch from the rocks. Crowds are *sometimes* a thing, but on a morning like this, expect a handful of the usual suspects.

The wind falls apart Wednesday afternoon, and from Thursday the 3rd through Saturday the 5th of September it’s a total loss – strong onshore wind, messy, blown-out.

Then a surprise: Sunday morning, 6th September – the swell drops to 5ft, but the period stretches to 14 seconds, and we get offshore wind from the NNW. Light rain, but clean. The energy is moderate (1252), but that long period means steep, powerful lines. Another beauty.

After that, the window closes up. Small, onshore, lumpy. By Tuesday the 8th, it’s knee-high and poor. Then a big, stormy pulse around the 11th and 12th – 10ft of SW swell – but it’s all onshore and messy. That’s kite-surfing weather, not paddle surfing.

Final call: Sunday morning, 13th September – 8ft of SW, gentle cross-on wind. Marginal, but if you’re keen.

The picks: Monday 31st August morning for the glass and perfect conditions, and Wednesday 2nd September morning for the raw power. That Wednesday is the standout – mark it down.

Rusty.

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