Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Fence (Port Elizabeth).

We’re looking at a pretty solid run of surf over the next couple of weeks, but patience is the name of the game for the first few days. The water is sitting at a chilly 61°, which is a massive 6° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a real anomaly, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit.

The action starts on Friday afternoon, August 21st, but I’d give it a miss. We’ve got a 5ft SSW swell with a 12-second period, but the wind is a cross-on from the ESE at 9 mph, making it choppy and poor. The combined energy is only moderate (619). Not worth paddling out.

Saturday, August 22nd, is a write-off. The morning has a 31 mph offshore wind from the WSW – that’s a near gale, making it nearly impossible to paddle into the 6ft SW swell. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a 25 mph cross-off, but the swell bumps up to 8ft, and the energy is strong (1827). It’s clean, but still marginal.

Sunday, August 23rd, is looking better. The morning has a 6ft SSW swell, cross-off wind, and clean conditions. The afternoon is a real sweet spot: 5ft SSW swell, 12-second period, gentle cross-off breeze, and good surf conditions. Energy is moderate (636). This is a solid session.

Monday, August 24th, is a drop in size. The morning has a 3ft SSW swell with a 14-second period – that’s a long period groundswell, but it’s small. Light cross-off wind, clean, and good conditions. The afternoon gets a bit stronger wind and the swell picks up to 4ft, but it’s marginal.

Now, here’s the standout. Tuesday, August 25th, morning is the best on offer in the first week. We’ve got a 6ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, giving it plenty of energy (1523). The wind is glassy – a 3 mph offshore from the SW. That’s perfect. The conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle.

Wednesday, August 26th, is a bust. Strong onshore winds from the E at 19-22 mph and a 7ft S swell make for poor, messy surf. The energy is strong (1913-2264), but it’s not for paddling.

Thursday, August 27th, is also poor. The wind is onshore or cross-on, and the 6ft S swell is messy.

Friday, August 28th, brings a surprise. The morning is glassy calm with a 5ft S swell, 12-second period, and very good conditions. Energy is moderate (1088). The afternoon is marginal.

Saturday, August 29th, is poor. The wind is strong and the swell is small and from the east.

Sunday, August 30th, is for experts only. The morning has a 10ft SW swell with a 31 mph offshore wind – that’s a near gale, making it nearly impossible to paddle into. The afternoon is 8ft SW swell with a strong cross-off wind. Marginal.

Tuesday, September 1st, is a write-off. Strong onshore winds and a small, messy swell.

The standout in the second week is Monday, August 31st, morning. We’ve got a 6ft SSW swell, 11-second period, with a glassy 3 mph cross-off wind from the WSW. The energy is moderate (785) and the conditions are very good. Clean, fun waves.

The rest of the first week of September is a mix of small, clean swells and poor, windy days. The morning of Thursday, September 3rd, is worth a look: 4ft SSW swell, 14-second period, gentle cross-off breeze, and very good conditions. Energy is moderate (748).

After that, the forecast gets grim. Friday, September 4th, and Saturday, September 5th, have onshore winds and large, short-period swell from the ESE – that’s more of a windswell setup, and with the energy being strong, it’s likely better for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Overall, the best windows are Tuesday morning August 25th and Monday morning August 31st. Get out there if you can.

Rusty.

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