Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s coming for Fence (Port Elizabeth). The first few days are a bit of a write-off, but there’s a couple of proper windows for the lads who know what they’re doing.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are messy. Cross-off winds, poor conditions. The swell is around 3ft to 4ft, but it’s not clean. The combined energy sits at 532 on Saturday morning, dropping to 375 by the arvo – moderate energy, not worth the paddle.

Monday the 31st is where it gets interesting. Early morning, it’s glassy with a light S breeze at 3 mph. The swell is 3ft from the SW at 11 seconds, combined energy 286. It’s small, but clean. This is a nice little window for a longboard or a funboard.

Tuesday the 1st of September keeps it rolling. Clear skies, light SW cross-off breeze at 9 mph, and the swell picks up to 4ft from the SSW with a 12-second period. Combined energy jumps to 457, and it’s clean. This is a solid morning session, especially for an advanced break like Fence. The afternoon gets windier, but the morning is the pick.

Now, the standout is Wednesday the 2nd of September. Clear sky, glassy conditions with an easterly breeze at just 3 mph. Swell hits 7ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 1647. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – big, powerful, clean. The swell direction from SSW matches the optimum SE direction pretty well, and with glassy offshore wind, it doesn’t get much better. At 7ft, this is expert territory. The energy is strong, and the long period means it’ll barrel on the reef. Crowds are sometimes an issue, so expect a few locals out.

Things go downhill after that. Thursday the 3rd through Saturday the 5th of September are blown out with strong onshore winds, rain, and choppy conditions. The swell gets bigger – up to 10ft on the 5th – but with onshore easterly winds at 28 mph, it’s a mess. Not for surfing.

Sunday the 6th of September brings a surprise: a morning with a light NNW cross-off breeze at 6 mph, and an 8ft swell from the east at 9 seconds. Combined energy is a very strong 2495. This is excellent for experienced surfers – clean, powerful, but the period is short, so it’ll be a bit crumbly. The afternoon picks up a strong offshore WSW wind at 25 mph, making it hard to paddle into but very clean. This is a big-swell day for the brave.

The rest of the week from Monday the 7th to Wednesday the 9th is mostly onshore, choppy, and poor. A few glimpses of clean conditions on the 10th and 11th, but the swell is small (3ft to 4ft) and the winds are strong. The 11th has a long-period 16-second swell from the SSW, but with 25 mph winds, it’s not worth it.

The second week wraps up with Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th of September: moderate swell around 6ft to 6ft from the SSW, but cross-onshore winds and a cross-chop. Marginal at best.

Overall, the best bet is Wednesday the 2nd of September – glassy, 7ft SSW groundswell, strong energy, expert-only. Tuesday the 1st of September morning is a solid second option for cleaner, smaller waves. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

Rusty

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