Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right folks, Rusty here with the long-range look for Fence (Port Elizabeth). There's a big window of action for us, but it's gonna take a minute to get going proper.

We kick off on Tuesday the 14th with a morning session that's got clean 5ft swell from the ESE with a 9-second period and a light offshore breeze. The water's 63°, which is a good 4° colder than we'd normally expect for this time of year – a bit nippy, so grab the 4/3. That morning is decent, but the energy's only moderate at 440, so it's not a blower. The afternoon turns to mush with a cross-offshore wind.

Wednesday the 15th is a bit smaller, with 4ft Wednesday morning from the east, but that moderate offshore keeps it clean. Again, nothing to write home about yet.

Then, hold onto your boardies. Thursday the 16th is where the magic starts. We've got a proper long-period groundswell arriving from the SSW – 6ft with a 14-second period. The wave energy jumps to a strong 1317, and the morning is dead calm with a slight air. This is the first true standout. That long period means better shaped waves and more push, perfect for this spot. The morning and afternoon both look excellent.

Friday the 17th keeps it going. Another morning of 5ft SSW swell, 12 seconds, and light offshore wind from the west. Clean, powerful, and consistent. The energy is still strong at 813. This is excellent surf.

Saturday the 18th is a mixed bag. The morning is a write-off with onshore wind and weak swell, but don't sleep on the afternoon. It goes glassy with a 4ft S swell. That glassy condition is a major positive – it'll be clean, even if the swell is smaller.

The next big hitter lands on Monday the 20th, but the morning is ruined by cross-onshore wind. The afternoon sees a jump in size to 7ft from the SSW, but the onshore wind makes it a messy call.

Now, listen up. Tuesday the 21st of July is the absolute standout of this entire outlook. We're talking 7ft of SSW groundswell with a massive 16-second period and the wave energy is a huge 2518. The wind is a light cross-offshore in the morning. This is for experts only – anything over 8ft is for the pros, but at 7ft, it's a serious, powerful wave. The afternoon, however, gets wrecked by 31 mph winds, so aim for the early session.

Wednesday the 22nd keeps the big swell going with 10ft in the morning from the SSW – too big for the average surfer, that's expert territory. But the afternoon is pure gold: glassy, with 8ft of the same SSW groundswell. That afternoon session is the second true standout – glassy conditions on a big, long-period swell.

The end of the week gets messy. Thursday the 23rd has near-gale offshore winds, making it near impossible to paddle into. Friday the 24th has a short-period, 7-second windswell mixed in, not worth the hassle. The weekend is a write-off.

Looking into the second week, it's promising but more of a tease. The morning of Sunday the 26th has a gentle offshore and 4ft of SSW groundswell with a long 15-second period – clean, but not huge. Monday the 27th morning goes glassy again with 5ft of that long-period SSW swell. Tuesday the 28th is messy with cross-onshore wind. Wednesday the 29th morning is another glassy start with 5ft SSW swell.

So, to sum it up: The best windows are Thursday the 16th, Friday the 17th, and for the brave, the mornings of Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd of July. That's where the true quality is. Fence is very consistent, so when it's good, it's really good.

Rusty.

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