
Surf Forecasts:
Fence (Port Elizabeth) surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, S swell with 4,226 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fence (Port Elizabeth) this week:
The surf forecast for Fence (Port Elizabeth) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fence (Port Elizabeth) in the next 16 days are 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fence (Port Elizabeth) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for Fence (Port Elizabeth).
Alright, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid pulses of swell coming in from the SSW, but the wind is going to be a major player, keeping things pretty messy for a lot of the time. There are a couple of true standout windows in the second week that are worth circling on your calendar, though.
This first stretch, starting from Monday the 27th of July right through to the end of the week, is a write-off for any decent surfing. The swell’s there, around 4ft to 7ft, but the wind is all over the shop. Monday morning has a fresh 22 mph offshore, but it’s a WSW wind, which is just cross-off here. It’s also on the back of a bit of a colder than normal water temp at 64°. The energy is moderate at 964, but it’s “marginal surf” at best. Monday afternoon sees a 7ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period, which sounds great, but the wind swings cross-shore at 16 mph and creates a chop. Tuesday and Wednesday are all onshore from the east, ruining what could be a nice 6ft, 15-second swell. Thursday and Friday are cross-onshore and lumpy, with the energy dropping right off. It’s a blank run. Don’t bother paddling out until the weekend is over either – Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd of August are blown-out with strong onshore winds from the east, with the swell dropping to a weak, short-period 5ft to 3ft.
Now, Monday the 3rd of August is where things finally get interesting. The morning session looks like a very good call. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SSW at 14 seconds, but the real magic is the wind. It’s glassy. Absolutely glassy with a SW wind at just 3 mph. The combined energy is a moderate 740. The water is still holding at that same 64° with the slight anomaly, but on a glassy morning with that long-period groundswell, you’ll be fine. This is the first real window for a clean surf. The afternoon turns a bit cross-onshore, so get on it early.
We hit another rough patch on Tuesday the 4th, with a near-gale cross-off wind that shreds the quality, even though there’s a 7ft SW swell coming in.
But Thursday the 6th of August is the real standout. This is the best on offer for the whole forecast. Thursday morning and afternoon are both marked as excellent for experienced surfers. The swell builds to a solid 5ft in the morning, hitting 7ft in the afternoon, both from the SSW. The period is a very long 16 seconds, and the combined energy is huge – 1673 in the morning, jumping to a powerful 2481 in the afternoon. The wind is a gentle breeze from the SSW, which is cross-off, keeping the wave face clean. This is a proper groundswell, so the line-ups at Fence will be long, clean, and have plenty of push. It’s advanced-level stuff at that size, but for those who know what they’re doing, it’s going to be epic.
The action keeps rolling into Friday the 7th through to Sunday the 9th of August. The swell holds strong, between 7ft and 8ft, with a 15-second period. The energy stays very strong, between 1852 and 2167. The wind stays offshore or clean cross-off for most of this run, particularly the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning sessions look prime. Sunday the 9th of August morning is another excellent session on the cards, with a moderate 12 mph offshore wind and a 7ft SSW groundswell. These are days for the experienced crew to have a field day.
Monday the 10th of August has a 8ft swell, but the morning has a light cross-onshore that’s okay, but the afternoon turns onshore and kills it again. After that, from Tuesday the 11th, the swell fades and the winds turn poor, so the window closes. Make the most of that first week of August.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Mon morning, light winds from the N by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Fri morning, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | ESE 9 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
440 | 1923 | 4226 | 1415 | 1220 | 1032 | 631 | 624 | 671 | 606 | 497 | 468 | 331 | 474 | 322 | 466 | 597 | 891 | 313 | 459 | 588 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:58PM1.53m | 3:01AM1.60m | 3:31PM1.64m | 3:34AM1.67m | 4:01PM1.72m | 4:05AM1.72m | 4:30PM1.78m | 4:35AM1.75m | 5:00PM1.82m | 5:06AM1.75m | 5:29PM1.84m | 5:37AM1.73m | 6:01PM1.82m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:45AM0.52m | 8:57PM0.60m | 9:15AM0.43m | 9:31PM0.52m | 9:45AM0.35m | 10:01PM0.45m | 10:13AM0.29m | 10:32PM0.40m | 10:42AM0.26m | 11:02PM0.37m | 11:11AM0.26m | 11:33PM0.37m | 11:40AM0.28m | 00:06AM0.39m | |||||||
7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | E 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
440 | 1923 | 7 | 1415 | 1220 | 1032 | 631 | 624 | 335 | 352 | 344 | 314 | 283 | 209 | 138 | 98 | 73 | 559 | 313 | 273 | 196 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | S 12 | SE 7 | — | S 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 16 | S 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | S 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 |
330 | 13 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 248 | — | 7 | 671 | 606 | 497 | 468 | 331 | 43 | 6 | 25 | 22 | 99 | 165 | 459 | 588 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | SE 8 | — | — | — | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 9 |
32 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | 85 | 57 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | — | S 16 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — |
162 | — | 4226 | 443 | 344 | 313 | 435 | 348 | — | — | — | — | — | 474 | 322 | 466 | 597 | 891 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 206 | 626 | 249 | 11 | 37 | 37 | 239 | 264 | 8 | 8 | 246 | 8 | 8 | 264 | 142 | 206 | 239 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 11 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fence (Port Elizabeth) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fence (Port Elizabeth) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fence (Port Elizabeth) 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 (Fence (Port Elizabeth)) 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 Fence (Port Elizabeth) 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.
The Fence is 6 km (4 miles) from the city of Port Elizabeth. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape (South), look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










