Fence (Port Elizabeth) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a 16-day run ahead, and I’ll level with ya – it’s a real mixed bag at Fence (Port Elizabeth). The first few days offer some clean windows, but then we cop a long, ugly stretch of wind and chop before things maybe settle again late in the second week. Let’s break it down.

The Overall Pattern

We kick off with a glassy little pulse, then a sweet groundswell hits midweek that’s the clear standout. After that, the wind turns nasty and the ocean gets messy for well over a week straight – think strong onshore winds and lumpy seas. There’s a glimmer of hope around the 10th and 11th of September, but it’s pretty ordinary. Then the last few days look cleaner but the swell drops away.

Day-by-Day

Monday the 31st of August starts off with a treat – early morning it’s glassy, barely a breath of wind from the SW at 3 mph, and a clean 3ft SW swell with an 11-second period. The combined energy is weak (297), but the conditions are perfect for the size. The water’s sitting at 62°, which is 4° colder than normal – that’s a notable chill, so suit up properly. That morning session is a little beauty. By afternoon, the wind swings S at 9 mph, goes cross-shore, and the surf turns poor.

Tuesday the 1st of September, another glassy morning – SSE wind at 3 mph, swell bumps to 4ft from the SSW, period stretching to 13 seconds. Combined energy jumps to 618 (moderate). It’s clean and lined up, a solid session. The afternoon sees the wind come SE and cross-onshore at 6 mph, making things marginal.

The Standout – Wednesday the 2nd of September

This is your day. Wednesday morning delivers the best of the whole outlook. The swell hits 7ft from the SSW with a long 14-second period, producing a strong combined energy of 1454 (strong). Wind is a light SW at 3 mph, cross-offshore, so the waves will be clean and hollow. This is proper groundswell, so expect well-shaped, powerful lines with decent gaps between sets. The break is a fairly exposed advanced spot, and with it being very consistent, it’s worth the paddle. It’s a bit punchy for beginners at over 5ft, but for experienced surfers, this is the pick of the whole 16 days.

From Thursday the 3rd of September onward, it all falls apart. Thursday brings rain and a stiff SSE wind at 16 mph, cross-onshore, making a mess of the 4ft swell. Friday the 4th is worse – easterly winds hit 22 mph, the swell jumps to 12ft from the SE, but it’s a short-period, lumpy, blown-out disaster. That trend continues through the weekend and into the next week, with onshore winds and big, choppy seas – some days the swell is over 10ft but it’s just a kiteboarder’s dream, not for a paddle surfer.

The 6th of September (Sunday) sees a massive 12ft S swell with a 16-second period and combined energy over 7000, but the wind is a brutal 25 mph cross-onshore. Absolutely no good for surfing.

The Second Week

There’s a gap of several days with no decent surf at all. The 7th to the 9th of September are all blown out with strong onshore winds. By the 10th of September (Thursday), things calm a little – Thursday afternoon turns glassy again, with the wind dropping to 3 mph from the S, and a small 3ft E swell (9-second period) rolling in. The energy is weak (195), but it’s surfable and clean. The 11th of September (Friday) morning has a cross-offshore wind from the S at 9 mph and a 3ft E swell (162 energy) – clean but tiny.

The 12th and 13th of September go back to onshore wind and lumpy conditions. The 14th of September (Monday) offers a promising sign – a SW wind at 16 mph but it’s cross-offshore, with a 4ft SW swell (391 energy) and 11-second period. It’s clean, but the wind is moderate. The 15th of September (Tuesday) sees the swell jump to 12ft from the S, but with an onshore easterly at 12 mph – marginal at best, and the afternoon cranks up to 15ft and 22 mph onshore wind, a total mess.

The Best Bet

No question, lock in Wednesday the 2nd of September morning at Fence. That 7ft SSW groundswell with glassy offshore wind, 14-second period, and strong energy is the true standout. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have company, but the quality will be worth it.

Rusty.

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