Voelklip Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right on, surfer. Let's break down what we've got cooking for Voelklip over the next 16 days.

We're looking at a solid run of swell, but the wind is going to be our main dance partner here. There are a few real gems tucked in there, and one clear standout that'll have you frothing.

The first real highlight is Wednesday, September 2nd, in the morning. This is the one to circle on the calendar. We're seeing a clean 3-meter (10-foot) swell from the SW, with a long 13-second period and a glassy, offshore wind from the SE at just 3 mph. The water is sitting at 59°F, which is about normal for this time of year. The combined energy is pumping hard (2802). This is proper groundswell, and at a solid 3 meters (10 feet), it's pushing into "experts only" territory, especially on this reef setup. It's going to be heavy, but glassy and lined up. Expect some crowds, as it's a known spot.

The afternoon blows out with a cross-onshore wind, so that morning window is the key.

Thursday the 3rd downshifts quickly, with the wind messing things up and the swell dropping. Friday the 4th through Saturday the 5th is a complete write-off with strong, messy cross-winds. You can pretty much scratch those days off.

Sunday the 6th shows promise with a building 3-meter (8-foot) SW swell and a very long 18-second period. The morning looks clean with a cross-offshore wind. This is a powerful, long-period groundswell. On a beach break it might close out, but for Voelklip (reef), this is premium. The wave energy is massive (3884). It's a bit big for the average surfer, but for those with the skills, it's a session.

Monday the 7th gets chopped by a cross-onshore wind, and the swell hangs in there but isn't as clean.

Then we hit another lull. Tuesday and Wednesday the 8th and 9th are small and weak, but hold on because Thursday the 10th has back-to-back glassy sessions. The morning has a clean 2-meter (6-foot) SW swell (12-second period) with glassy SSW winds. The afternoon is just as good, with a 2-meter (6-foot) WSW swell and glassy conditions. The energy is moderate (887 and 800), making for a much more user-friendly, fun size than the earlier 3-meter bombs. This is a great day for the intermediate crew to get some clean, lined-up waves.

Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th get bumpy with stronger winds. Saturday afternoon, however, sees a jump back up to a 3-meter (8-foot) SW swell (14 seconds) with clean cross-offshore winds. That's a strong setup with 2749 energy, but the wind is stronger.

Sunday, September 13th is a beast. The swell is 4 meters (12 feet) from the SW with a 12-second period and clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is nuclear (3245). The kicker is that the forecast literally says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. So, unless you're a charger with the right equipment, you watch this one from the rocks. Even experts should be very cautious at this size on a reef.

Monday the 14th still has a big 3-meter (10-foot) SSW swell with clean wind, but it's a drop in size from Sunday.

The outlook for the second week gets a bit more unpredictable. Monday the 14th is good but big, Tuesday the 15th shows signs of dropping back to a more manageable 1 meters (4 feet) with clean winds—a promising look but less certain. Then the final reports on the 16th and 17th show another massive pulse of long-period SW swell (up to 4 meters / 12 feet and 17 seconds) but it gets hammered by strong, messy onshore winds. The energy is off the charts (8470), but for paddle surfing, that combo of size and a strong cross-onshore wind at a reef is a messy, dangerous prospect. That setup looks more suited for a tow crew than a paddle surfer, maybe even a kite-session for the brave.

Overall, the clear standouts are Wednesday morning, September 2nd for the big, glassy groundswell and Thursday, September 10th for the clean, user-friendly waves. Skip the wind-blown days and the absolute monsters.

Rusty.

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