Voelklip Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a proper run of solid, groundswell energy heading our way, but it’s not all clean sailing. The first real standout window is this Thursday morning, the 9th of July. The swell is a solid 8ft from the SW with a period of 14 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The water temperature is sitting at 60°, which is about average for the time of year. With a light cross-offshore breeze from the east, it’s going to be clean. But this is a powerful wave, the combined energy is massive (2644), so this is one for the experienced crew only – it’ll be too much for beginners.

Now, Thursday afternoon is a write-off – the wind swings SE and gets up, making for a messy cross-shore chop. Friday morning, the 10th, is another good look. The swell drops a touch to 8ft, still from the SSW, period at 13 seconds, and the wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the east again. The face will be clean, and the energy is still strong (2081). Again, this is for the experienced surfer.

The weekend brings a bit of a drop in size. Saturday the 11th sees 7ft SSW swell, but the wind is a moderate 16 mph from the east, which is cross-offshore so it's clean, but the energy is dropping. Sunday morning, the 12th, has the swell down to 5ft from the south, but it’s a little lumpy. Sunday afternoon, however, is a nice surprise. The swell drops to 5ft, but the wind goes light and cross-off, and the combined energy (738) is moderate. The forecast says to expect very good surf conditions, and for a smaller wave, this could be a fun session.

Monday the 13th starts with a tiny 3ft S swell and glassy conditions – a perfect morning for a longboard or a beginner. But the wind goes onshore in the afternoon, so get out early. Tuesday the 14th is tiny, with 2ft to 3ft waves, but it’s glassy all day. Not much power, but it’ll be pretty.

Now, pay attention to Wednesday the 15th. The afternoon looks absolutely magic. The swell is 5ft from the SW, but the period is a very long 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is glassy, and the combined energy jumps up to 1227. For a reef like Voelklip, that long period will make for some beautifully shaped, powerful lines. This is a standout for the more experienced surfer, as that long period will have some serious push.

The outlook gets a bit messy after that. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are onshore and choppy. Saturday the 18th has a weird, short-period 6 second swell from the WNW – that’s windswell, not a lot of love there.

Then we get a huge spike. Sunday the 19th morning shows a massive 13ft swell from the west with a 12-second period and a combined energy of 6745. The wind is cross-offshore, but the wave is predicted to be too big for this break. This is a warning, not a recommendation. Monday the 20th morning is also a big 10ft SSW swell, clean with a light breeze, but again, it’s a big wave for experts only.

Tuesday the 21st morning is another monster, 12ft SSW with a very long 15-second period and energy of 5152. The wind is light and cross-onshore, but the wave size is too big for this spot. Wednesday the 22nd morning is the pick of the far-out stuff: a 8ft SW swell, 13-second period, and a clean offshore breeze from the NE. The energy is strong (1972), and conditions are clean. That’s a good one.

The very end of the forecast, the 23rd and 24th of July, is just a bloated mess. 16ft and 15ft waves with onshore winds – that’s a hard pass.

So, looking at the whole run, the best of the best are Thursday morning the 9th and Wednesday afternoon the 15th. The 9th is a guaranteed, powerful session for the experienced, and the 15th is a glassy, long-period gem. The Sunday the 12th afternoon is a nice smaller-wave option for a wider range of surfers.

Rusty.

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