Voelklip Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, this is Rusty, checkin' in from the lineup.

Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but you’ve gotta pick your moments, ’cause this ain’t a straight-line forecast. The main player here is Voelklip, a reef set-up that’s exposed and ready to go.

First up, we’ve got a bit of a wait. The real action starts on Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th. Thursday morning sees a clean 10ft SSW groundswell, a real solid pulse with a period of 13 seconds, and the wind is light off-shore from the ESE. The water’s sitting at 60° which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing wild. The overall wave energy is pumping (3403). This is proper, expert-level stuff – that size is for experienced surfers only, and it'll be lining up nicely on the reef. Friday is more of the same; the morning stays clean with a 10ft SSW swell, but the afternoon steals the show with a slightly longer 15-second period on the same size, clean off-shore wind, and even more energy ramping up (4292). That Friday arvo window is absolutely the standout of the first week.

The weekend gets a bit messy. Saturday morning is onshore wind, and Sunday is a complete write-off with 25 mph cross-shore winds making a total mess of the 10ft swell. That’s a day to stay home. Monday the 10th drops in size but also drops in period, with a short 10-second S swell and fresh wind. It’s a miss for me.

The following week shows a real change. From Wednesday the 12th onwards, we see lighter winds and a big shift to longer-period SW groundswell for a few days. The morning of Thursday the 13th is a highlight – a clean 6ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a nice offshore breeze from the ENE. It’s perfect for the reef, but that long period will make it a bit straight on the peak, so get your positioning right. The energy is still moderate (1567). Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th drop further in size, but the quality is still there with clean, glassy mornings and off-shore winds. Saturday afternoon is dead flat glassy (3 mph from the ENE) with a clean 4ft swell. These are the days for a longboard if you want to sneak a few clean ones.

Now, looking out further to Tuesday the 18th, we get another big pulse of 10ft+ WSW swell, and again the wind is light and cross-shore. It’s a big, powerful, long-period groundswell, but it starts to push the limits of what the break can handle. By Thursday the 20th, the models are calling for a monster 16ft SW swell – the combined energy is off the charts (11306) and the period is a very long 15 seconds. That’s a land swell, for experts only. The wind is clean cross-off, but at that size, the reef will be a washing machine. Honestly, for a setup like this, that kind of energy is more interesting for drifters than paddle surfers unless you’ve got nerves of steel.

The Best on Offer: Hands down, it’s the Friday afternoon, August 7th at Voelklip. 10ft of clean, long-period SW groundswell with off-shore winds and the most wave energy of the good days. That’s the one to circle. After that, the Thursday morning, August 13th is a very close second for a slightly smaller but still powerful and clean session.

Rusty.

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