
Surf Forecasts:
Rock Wave surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, S swell with 2,359 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rock Wave this week:
The surf forecast for Rock Wave over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rock Wave in the next 16 days are 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rock Wave over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Rock Wave. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, so let’s break it down.
The overall pattern is pretty average to start. Don’t get too excited for the first few days. Monday the 13th is a write-off, with a messy cross-shore breeze and a 7ft east swell that’s just not clean. The water is a bit colder than normal at 65°, which is a bit of a shock if you’re used to it warmer this time of year.
Things start to look up on Tuesday morning the 14th. That’s when we get a window of proper glassy conditions with a light west wind. The swell drops to a clean 6ft from the east, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (687), and it’s gonna feel good. Tuesday afternoon holds that same glassy vibe with a 6ft east swell. This is the best the first week has to offer – clean, fun, and not too crowded.
Wednesday morning the 15th is still decent with a 5ft east swell and a light offshore breeze, but it fades in the afternoon. From Thursday through the weekend, the wind gets messy again, and the swell drops off. There’s a brief spike of energy on Friday afternoon the 17th with a 8ft SSW groundswell (period 13 seconds), but the wind is howling at 15 mph from the southwest, making it a lumpy, cross-chop mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddler’s joy.
The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on the calendar, is Tuesday morning the 21st of July. We’ve got a solid 5ft swell from the SSW, but the period is a massive 18 seconds – that’s very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is strong (1591), and with a light cross-offshore breeze from the north-northeast, it’s going to be clean. This is a reef break, so that long period will wrap in beautifully. It’s rated as excellent for experienced surfers, and it’s a fairly consistent spot, so you’ll get your waves. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so keep an eye out. This is the pick of the 16 days.
After that, the second week gets a bit grim. The swell sticks around in the 4ft to 5ft range, but the wind is relentless, mostly cross or onshore, with fresh to moderate breezes that will chop things up. From the 23rd through the 27th, it’s poor, with the wind gusting up to 22 mph on the 23rd, making it messy and unpleasant. The surf drops to tiny 2ft on the 25th and 26th. There’s a glimmer on Tuesday morning the 28th with a 4ft SSW swell and light wind, but it’s only marginal.
So, to sum it up: Tuesday the 14th and Tuesday the 21st are your best bets. The 21st is the real highlight for the experienced crew. The rest of the window is mostly a wait-and-see game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 22°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Fri night, fresh winds from the NE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 14 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
549 | 365 | 424 | 588 | 544 | 513 | 417 | 377 | 345 | 305 | 427 | 247 | 200 | 2060 | 1585 | 2042 | 1538 | 847 | 572 | 436 | 235 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:12PM1.46m | 3:29AM1.59m | 3:59PM1.57m | 4:13AM1.62m | 4:42PM1.64m | 4:54AM1.61m | 5:23PM1.67m | 5:33AM1.56m | 6:02PM1.65m | 6:10AM1.47m | 6:40PM1.58m | 6:47AM1.37m | 7:18PM1.48m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:00AM0.16m | 9:16PM0.19m | 9:45AM0.07m | 10:04PM0.13m | 10:26AM0.02m | 10:49PM0.10m | 11:05AM0.00m | 11:30PM0.13m | 11:42AM0.03m | 00:11AM0.19m | 12:17PM0.10m | 00:50AM0.28m | 12:52PM0.20m | 1:29AM0.38m | |||||||
7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | |
— | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 |
292 | 365 | 424 | 588 | 544 | 513 | 417 | 377 | 345 | 305 | 311 | 247 | 200 | 1106 | 1585 | 2042 | 1538 | 847 | 572 | 436 | 235 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSE 10 | SSW 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 13 |
227 | 175 | 100 | 70 | 26 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 73 | 163 | 427 | 245 | 151 | 159 | 123 | 92 | 72 | 287 | 127 | 79 | 167 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 15 | SSW 10 | SSE 9 | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | S 10 | — | — | E 10 | — | — | SSE 15 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | E 9 |
— | 8 | 146 | 29 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 53 | 128 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 158 | — | — | 193 | 7 | 15 | 61 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | NE 8 | — | — | — | SW 4 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | — | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | — |
549 | — | 255 | — | — | — | 4 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 40 | 2060 | — | 59 | 212 | — | 15 | 53 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 103 | 434 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 40 | 0 | 454 | 510 | 31 | 384 | 434 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Rock Wave Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rock Wave provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rock Wave can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rock Wave surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Rock Wave) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Rock Wave may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Rock Wave, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast, consider staying in East London which is 25 km (16 miles) away. Other places in and around Eastern Cape - Wild Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Butterworth which is 60 km (37 miles) away, Stutterheim and Bisho.










