Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, listen up, crew. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Fence (Port Elizabeth). It’s a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, but we’ve got some real gems buried in there if you’re patient. The water’s sitting at 64°F which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

The run starts off a bit shaky. We’ve got a solid SSW groundswell building on Friday the 24th – a 8ft swell with a long 15-second period – but the wind’s on it from the ENE, making it messy. Combined energy is strong at 2657, but the conditions aren’t there yet. You’d be better off waiting.

Your first proper window opens up Saturday the 25th morning. That’s the standout early on. The swell drops a touch to 5ft from the SSW, but here’s the magic: clean offshore wind straight out of the west at 6 mph. Light breeze, glassy conditions. This is going to be clean and lined up. Combined energy is still high at 1195, and with that long period swell and offshore wind, Fence will offer up some proper walls. It’s an advanced wave and it can get crowded sometimes, so be ready to share.

We then hit a flat, messy spell from Sunday through the end of the month. There’s swell, but it’s mostly NE-E windswell with onshore or cross-onshore winds that are just too strong. The numbers, like a big 10ft S swell on Tuesday the 28th afternoon, look tempting on paper, but with a cross-onshore breeze and energy at 3885, it’s going to be a lumpy, choppy mess. This stretch is not worth your time – a solid week of poor surf.

Now, hold onto your board, because the real story is in the early days of August. Sunday the 2nd of August morning brings an 8ft E swell, but it’s a bit short-period at 9 seconds. However, the wind is a clean cross-off from the WSW at 9 mph, and the energy is pumping at 2515. It’s marginal thanks to the shorter period, but it’s ridable.

But the true standout of the whole outlook is Monday the 3rd of August morning. This is the one to circle. An 8ft E swell with a clean, moderate offshore wind from the WSW at 12 mph. The combined energy is massive at 2382, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a powerful, clean wave that will be barrelling. It’s big (over 8ft), so this is strictly for the experts. The energy is strong, the wind is right. If you’re good enough, this is your session.

After that, things trail off again. There’s a nice little cleaner swell on Wednesday the 5th of August afternoon with a 5ft SSW swell, 14-second period, and clean cross-off wind at 9 mph (energy 1290) – a solid option for a post-work dip. Then the 6th of August looks like another big, clean groundswell day with 10ft SSW swell and a 16-second period. Wind is clean cross-off, energy is a monster 4027. That’s another huge day for the pros, but it’s a week and a half out so treat it as a very promising heads-up.

The very end of the run, the 7th and 8th of August, is a write-off with heavy onshore winds. So, to sum it up: forget this weekend unless you’re on Saturday morning. The big prize is Monday the 3rd of August morning, with a solid backup on the 6th. Keep your eyes peeled.

Rusty, signing off.

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