Noordhoek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up for us. We’ve got a real mixed bag coming, with some serious muscle early on, then a flat spell, and maybe a glimmer of hope way out there.

We start off on Wednesday the 8th with some proper heavy stuff. Noordhoek (Western Cape) is a reef set-up that’s very consistent. It’s cooking with a solid 8ft to 10ft SW swell, peaking at a 13-second period. That’s a lot of water moving, and the combined swell energy is a hefty 1903 to 3542. It’s got that clean look with cross-offshore winds, but at 15 to 25 mph, it’s blowing a solid breeze. This is big, powerful, and really only for the experienced crew. The strong breeze on Wednesday afternoon will make it a handful.

Thursday the 9th keeps the energy pumping. The morning has a 8ft SSW swell with a nice long 14-second period, which is proper groundswell. The energy stays high at 3968, but a 19 mph cross-offshore wind will keep it raw. The afternoon jumps up to 12ft from the SW, and the energy peaks for the day at 4031 with the wind backing off slightly. This is the top pick for the week if you’re an expert surfer. The long period means it will be lining up nicely on this reef, but expect long waits between the sets.

Friday the 10th is also strong, with 12ft swell all day. The morning is from the SSW with a 14-second period and energy at 4878. The real standout is the afternoon, with the wind dropping to a gentle 9 mph from the SW, making it the cleanest the big surf will be all week. The energy is still a massive 4013, and the file says conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the whole outlook if you’ve got the skills and the nerve.

Then we see a rapid drop-off. Saturday the 11th is a write-off with onshore winds and choppy 8ft waves. Sunday the 12th is a total loss, with poor conditions on 5ft to 6ft junk.

From Monday the 13th all the way through to Monday the 20th, we have a long, frustrating lull. There are a few small, weak, surfable waves in the 2ft to 5ft range on the 14th, 15th, and 21st, but with average to poor conditions and low energy (106 to 555). Honestly, from the 11th to the 21st of July, there’s nothing that will really get you out of bed. A real blank run for the area.

The only other flicker of hope is way out on Wednesday the 23rd of July. The models are hinting at an 8ft SW swell with a long 15-second period, and the energy comes back up to 2559. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore, so it will be clean. But that’s a long way off, so take it as a promising idea for now, not a certainty. If it holds, that’ll be another solid day for the experts.

So, bottom line: Thursday the 9th afternoon and Friday the 10th afternoon are your best bets, but only if you’re an advanced surfer. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more