West Pier (Port Alfred) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The forecast for West Pier (Port Alfred) is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some serious swell pulsing through, but the wind is going to be the main character in this story, and it’s not always on our side. The water is sitting at a cool 64°, which is more than a degree colder than we’d expect for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

The first real chance to get wet isn't until Tuesday, the 8th. The morning is looking like the standout. We’ve got a clean 4ft groundswell from the S with a period of 12 seconds, and the wind is a dead calm glass-off. It’s not massive, but that glassy surface will have those lines looking perfect. The combined wave energy is a moderate 480, so there’s something to work with.

After that, things get messy. The wind swings onshore and kicks up, making for choppy, blown-out conditions for a few days. The swell sticks around, but without clean wind, it’s a write-off.

We do see a small window of opportunity on the morning of Monday, the 15th. A light offshore NNW wind is forecast to groom a 3ft SW swell. The period is 12 seconds, so it’ll have some push. The energy is low at 342, but the clean conditions will make it rideable. Don’t expect a big day, but it’ll be a nice session if you’re keen.

The middle of the second week, around Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th, gets a lot bigger. We’re looking at an 12ft SSW swell on the Wednesday afternoon, with a massive combined energy of 4016. That’s a lot of water moving around. However, the wind is a strong cross-onshore, making it a mess. The waves are going to be powerful and lumpy—definitely not beginner territory. This is more of a spectacle than a surfer’s paradise, and honestly, with that strong wind and big chop, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The weekend of the 21st sees another big pulse, with a 10ft SW swell on the Sunday afternoon. The period is short at 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly and the wind is still a fresh cross-shore. The energy is 1462, but the note in the forecast says it’s too big for this break anyway, so we’ll give that one a miss.

Overall, the real standout is the glassy morning of Tuesday the 8th. It’s the cleanest, most user-friendly swell of the whole window. The rest of the period is a waiting game for the wind to clean up.

Rusty.

Read more