Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mates, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s rolling in for the Port Elizabeth region. We’ve got one spot that’s going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting over the next couple of weeks.

The forecast starts proper on July 4th, and the first real standout is the Saturday morning session at Fence (Port Elizabeth). The water’s sitting at 64°, which is a bit colder than what you'd normally expect for this time of year, so a decent steamer will be your friend. Now, this is an advanced wave, make no mistake. It’s picking up a solid 7.2ft groundswell coming straight out of the southeast, with a long 12-second period that’s packing some serious punch. The combined energy is a powerful 1556, so there’s plenty of grunt in the water. The wind is a light northwesterly cross-off, keeping things clean and well-shaped. This is the pick of the early window. The swell is pushing over 5ft, so it’s not for the beginners, but for the crew that knows this wave, it’s going to be a ripper. The crowds are listed as only sometimes an issue, so you’ve got a good shot at some open faces.

Sunday morning fades a touch with a smaller 4.6ft swell and a bit more breeze, but Sunday afternoon turns glassy. It’s smaller, at 4.3ft, but that glassy sea state makes it a joy for the more performance-focused surfer.

The pattern changes by Thursday July 9th. We see a bigger push of swell, hitting 8.2ft from the south with a long 14-second period. However, the wind swings onshore, making it choppy and bumpy. This one’s for the hardy locals only, and only if you’ve got the paddle fitness. It’s still got that deep South groundswell energy (2608), but the wind is messy.

Things go a bit sideways from July 11th through the 14th. We’ve got strong onshore winds and messy conditions, with zero scores for those days. It’s a proper write-off for a few days there. You’ll see a few smaller, cleanish windows on the 13th and 14th, but the swell is tiny, and it’s just not worth getting wet for.

Then, hold on to your boards. The forecast flips again around July 16th. We’re looking at a monster swell coming in. Thursday the 16th sees a 5.2ft bump, but by Friday the 17th, we’re talking 13.1ft of swell from the south-southeast. The combined energy on Friday morning is a massive 3903 – that’s serious, dangerous power. The period drops a bit to 11 seconds, meaning the sets will be walling up and dumping. This is strictly for the elite, and even then, you’d want to be on your biggest gun. The wind is a cross-off, so it will be clean, but the size is the story here. This run of big swell continues through the 18th and 19th, with waves between 8.2ft and 9.8ft, but the wind gets nasty again, particularly on the 18th afternoon with a near-gale cross-shore. That’s kite-surfing weather, not paddle-surfing weather.

So, the breakdown: your absolute best window is the Saturday July 4th morning – that’s the stand-out. Second place goes to the Sunday afternoon glass-off on the 5th. The massive swell from the 16th to 19th is a long-range prospect that’s promising for the big-wave chargers, but the winds are unpredictable.

Until next time, get out there and get wet.

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