The Hoek break guide

The Hoek Surf Guide

The Hoek in Cape Peninsula is an exposed beach break that has inconsistent surf. Autumn and winter are the best times of year for waves. Offshore winds blow from the southeast with some shelter here from southeast winds. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the southwest. The beach break provides left and right handers. Best around low tide when the tide is rising. Sometimes crowded. Overcrowding can even make surfing hazardous.

The Hoek Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Sandbar4inconsistent
17.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing The Hoek:

The best conditions reported for surf at The Hoek occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Southeast.

What's the best time of year to surf The Hoek (for consistent clean waves)?

marchBest Season: summer
The best time of year for surfing The Hoek with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer  and most often the month of March. Clean surfable waves are typically found 73% of the time in March while 21% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 6% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
73%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
21%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
6%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore The Hoek Location Map

Interactive The Hoek surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to The Hoek is Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in South Africa, which is 27 km (17 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to The Hoek is Oudtshoorn Airport (DUH), also in South Africa, 358 km (222 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
The Hoek Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 21:49 Local Time
TueWednesday 06
11PM2AM5AM8AM
Wave (m)
3
S
2.5
S
2.4
S
2.3
S
Period (s) 11 11 11 11
Wind (km/h)
10
15
15
15
Wind State off off cross-
off
off

Swell History at The Hoek

Surf stats for The Hoek, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at The Hoek

Wind stats for The Hoek, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

The Hoek Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings
Based on 6 votes.
  • Overall:4.0
  • Quality on a good day:4.7
  • Consistency of Surf:3.3
  • Difficulty Level:3.8
  • Wind and Kite Surfing:1.0
  • Crowds:3.2
  • ...

See all 18 ratings


Review
Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.
Gianluca from South Africa
“The Hoek, a heavy, shifty and freezing cold sandbar-monster that terminates in the side of a cliff. When it goes above 4ft things get seriously gnarly there and it's not for everyone, but if you're brave enough to paddle out on the right day you might be served the best barrel of your life.
Try not to get caught in the corner at high tide;)”

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