West Pier (Port Alfred) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the look ahead for our local stretch. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some proper grunt coming through later in the period, so hold tight.

The first proper surf window we’re looking at opens up on Sunday morning, the 2nd of August. It’s not perfect – there’s a decent 8ft swell from the ESE pushing through, but with a fresh 22 mph NE wind blowing cross-offshore, it should be clean. That swell is packing moderate to strong energy (1772), but it’s a short period affair at 12 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and won't have the real punch of a groundswell. It’s a big day for experienced surfers only at that size. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so keep an eye out.

The standout in this whole run is Monday morning, the 3rd of August. The swell drops back a touch to 7ft from the ESE, but the wind is a dream – a light 6 mph NE breeze, cross-offshore, keeping the surface glassy and clean. The energy is still strong (1237), and the conditions are set for excellent surf for the experienced crew. The 11-second period is decent, giving you some shape, but it’s not a long, drawn-out groundswell. This is the one to circle.

We grind through a few days of smaller, choppier stuff with marginal conditions. Then on Thursday the 6th of August, the swell really fires up. The morning is a write-off with a messy cross-chop, but the Thursday afternoon session has a solid 10ft SSW swell rolling in with strong energy (2820). The wind is a moderate 16 mph SW cross-shore, but the model is calling it too big for this break, so unless you’re a serious charger on a big day, give it a miss. The 13-second period is a proper groundswell – it’ll be a wall of water.

The following week is a mixed bag of onshore winds and messy conditions. The only real hope is Sunday morning, the 16th of August. That’s 13 days out, so treat it as a promising long-range call. We’re looking at a 5ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, pushing strong energy (1391), and a clean 12 mph NE cross-offshore breeze. It’s a solid option for intermediates and up, if the forecast holds.

Water temperature is sitting at 67°F, which is bang on average for this time of year – no surprises there.

The long gaps with no real surf are a pain, but when it comes, it comes with some punch. Keep your eyes on that Monday morning, the 3rd. That’s the one.

Rusty.

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