Pipe Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Eastern Cape (South), South Africa)

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Spot Information

Pipe Surf Guide

Pipe in Port Elizabeth is a very sheltered beach break that does not work very often Offshore winds blow from the west. Clean groundswells prevail and the best swell direction is from the southeast. Waves at the beach are both lefts and rights. Best around high tide when the tide is rising. Sometimes crowded. Take care of sharks and rocks.

Pipe Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	4	inconsistent	18.6°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Pipe:

The best conditions reported for surf at Pipe occur when a Southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Pipe (for consistent clean waves)?

juneBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Pipe with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of June. Clean surfable waves are typically found 1% of the time in June while 1% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 97% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

97%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Pipe Location Map

Interactive Pipe surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to Pipe is Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ) in South Africa, which is 7 km (4 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Pipe is Bisho Airport (VIY), also in South Africa, 192 km (119 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Pipe Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 4 May 2026, 10:46 Local Time

m, °C	Monday 04
ft, °F	11AM	2PM	5PM	8PM
Wave (m)	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Period (s)	13	13	12	12
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross	cross- off	cross- off

What does Pipe look like?

Latest photos from Pipe. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Riaan Vogel Credit: Riaan Vogel Credit: Riaan Vogel Credit: Riaan Vogel Credit: Riaan Vogel

Tides at Pipe

Current tide and informaton

For Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6 km from Pipe.

Next High Water: 05:04pm | 1.69m

Next Low Water: 10:50am | 0.38m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Pipe Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 22.0 °C once we account for wind), yet at 18.6 °C the sea remains several degrees colder than the air at Pipe. The majority of surfers will need a spring wetsuit though a summer suit or even a shorty may suffice for a short session.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 18.6°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite