Robberg Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for the Robberg area.

Right off the bat, things are a bit slow. Sunday the 16th is a write-off with poor conditions and nothing really worth paddling out for. The water is sitting at a very unusual 55°F – that’s a huge 9° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick suit if you’re even thinking about it.

The first real chance to get wet comes Monday morning the 17th. It’s small, only 3ft of east swell with an 11-second period, but the wind is glassy and clean. It’s not going to blow you away, but it’s a surfable window in an otherwise slow start. Combined wave energy is low at 141.

Tuesday the 18th is where things start to lift. The morning is still a bit messy with a cross-on breeze and 7ft SW swell (13-second period), but the afternoon brings a proper standout. The glassy conditions hit, the swell bumps up to 8ft from the SW at 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1747 – solid moderate energy. The wave comment is excellent for experienced surfers, and I’d agree. This is the best session of the first week if you’ve got the skill.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th see the swell holding in the 8ft to 10ft range, but the wind stays cross-on, keeping the surface a bit lumpy. Thursday afternoon has a 10ft SW swell with 2851 energy, but the quality is marginal. Not the cleanest.

Then Friday the 21st morning is another real standout. Glassy conditions again, 8ft SW swell at 12 seconds, energy at 1579, and the wave comment is excellent for experienced surfers. This one’s worth circling on the calendar.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd gets messy again. Saturday the 22nd has strong cross-shore winds and a 7ft swell, but it’s poor. Sunday the 23rd afternoon, however, is a big one to watch – 12ft of SSW swell at a very long 16-second period, and the combined energy is through the roof at 6609. The wind is only a light cross-on. That’s a lot of power, but with that long period, it might be a bit straight and fast for the beach breaks. Robberg being a beach and reef setup could still handle it, but this is expert territory only.

Monday the 24th stays huge, with 12ft SSW swell and 5903 energy in the morning, dropping to 10ft in the afternoon. The wind improves to cross-shore, but the swell is still massive.

Tuesday the 25th morning is a gem – glassy, 7ft SSW swell at 13 seconds, 1865 energy, and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That’s a nice clean window after all that size.

Wednesday the 26th afternoon is another standout: glassy, 8ft SW swell with a 16-second period, energy at 3355, and a solid excellent rating. This is a proper groundswell, so the reef sections at Robberg should light up. Keep an eye on the tide.

Thursday the 27th afternoon again goes glassy with a smaller 6ft SW swell at 13 seconds, and it scores excellent for experienced surfers. A nice clean session to finish the second week on a high.

After that, the last few days of August into the 31st see building swell again, but the wind gets messy, with cross-shore and onshore conditions, keeping the quality marginal at best. The 30th and 31st have huge 12ft to 13ft SW swells, but the wind and chop will make it a battle. Probably more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

Overall, the real standouts are Tuesday the 18th afternoon, Friday the 21st morning, Tuesday the 25th morning, and Wednesday the 26th afternoon. Those are the sessions to plan around.

Keep in mind Robberg is an inconsistent spot, so when these windows line up, they’re worth chasing. Crowds are a possibility here sometimes, so get in early.

Rusty.

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