Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of surf shaping up for Fence (Port Elizabeth) over the next couple of weeks, with a few proper standout sessions that’ll have you grinning. The water’s sitting at 64°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – a full 3° below average, so you’ll want that extra rubber.

The action kicks off Thursday morning, the 23rd of July. It’s not the biggest, with a 5ft SSW swell rolling in at a clean 12-second period, but the wind is light and offshore from the WNW, keeping things glassy. The combined energy is moderate at 702 – it’s a nice, easy start to the day. The afternoon picks up to 6ft, but that strong 25 mph offshore will make it a battle to get out.

Friday the 24th of July is where things get serious. The morning brings a solid 10ft SSW swell with a long 16-second period, pushing moderate-to-strong energy at 3992. That’s proper groundswell, and with a light offshore breeze, it’ll be clean and powerful. This is only for advanced surfers – it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon drops to 8ft but the wind swings onshore, so stick to the morning.

Saturday morning the 25th of July is a beauty: 5ft SSW swell, 14-second period, and glassy conditions with a slight breeze from the north. The energy is moderate at 1185, and it’ll be a joy to surf. The afternoon gets messy with onshore wind.

Sunday the 26th through Wednesday the 29th of July is a write-off – cross-onshore winds, choppy conditions, and poor surf quality across the board. Tuesday the 28th even has a risk of thunderstorms and 7ft swell, but it’s a mess. Skip it.

Then we get a nice shift. Thursday the 30th of July brings a 7ft ESE swell, shorter 9-second period, but clean offshore wind in the morning and light cross-off in the arvo. Combined energy is moderate at 1174. It’s fun, but the real standout is Friday the 31st of July.

Friday morning the 31st of July is the pick of the second week. We’re looking at a 7ft ESE swell, 11-second period, and glassy conditions – calm as a lake. The energy is strong at 1658. This is excellent for experienced surfers and will be clean from dawn. The afternoon goes onshore, so get in early.

Saturday the 1st of August drops to 7ft but with a light cross-onshore, and Sunday the 2nd of August goes glassy again with a 5ft E swell, 9-second period, and moderate energy at 494. Not a standout, but a nice little session.

After that, things fade. Monday the 3rd of August is blown out by strong winds, and Tuesday the 4th is lumpy. Wednesday the 5th of August has a tiny 3ft SW swell with clean offshore wind – more of a longboard day. Thursday the 6th of August shows promise with a 5ft SSW swell, 14-second period, and light offshore wind, combined energy 1176. Friday the 7th of August finishes up with a moderate 4ft SW swell, clean offshore, but the wind picks up in the arvo.

Overall, Fri 24th July morning and Fri 31st July morning are your absolute standouts. The crowd at Fence can be ‘sometimes’ busy, so expect company on the best days. The long-period swells will favour the reef and point setup here – it’s a spot that handles the juice well.

Rusty.

Read more