Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with 5,380 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whale Rock this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Whale Rock in the next 16 days are 3.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
It's a real mixed bag, and I'm not gonna lie, the start of it is a tough one. We're looking at a long stretch of nothing good for a while. The first proper surf we see is a pulse of serious size on Thursday the 18th of September, but that's a long way off, so we've got a gap of about 13 days with no real green lights.
The only spot on the menu is Whale Rock, a reef break for the advanced crew. It's inconsistent, and that's a big part of the problem here. We've got a decent amount of swell at times, but the wind is just relentless. For the first week and a half, it's cross-on and choppy, or just messy. The water temp is sitting right around 68°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year.
The real standout, the only one worth circling on the calendar, is the morning of Thursday the 18th of September. We've got a solid SSW groundswell pushing in at 12 ft, with a nice long period of 14 seconds. That's a lot of energy, with combined energy reading 3872, and it's coming from the south, which is exactly what this spot wants to see. The wind is light and variable, with a slight cross-shore ripple, so it should be clean. The size and the power mean this is strictly for the experienced, though. It's a big, heavy reef wave, and with the energy in the water, it's not one to take lightly.
The afternoon of the 18th is still decent, with the swell easing to 10 ft, but the wind starts to get a bit more cross-on, so the morning is the window to go for.
After that, it's back to the same old story: strong onshore winds and messy conditions. So, to sum it up, it's a long wait for a single, powerful morning. If you're an advanced surfer and you've got the patience, mark the 18th of September. Otherwise, it's a quiet period.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sat night, fresh winds from the NE by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Wed night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SE 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SE 13 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1975 | 878 | 505 | 356 | 350 | 231 | 1061 | 5380 | 3098 | 1643 | 772 | 162 | 158 | 110 | 90 | 59 | 56 | 68 | 43 | 66 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 8:19PM1.19m | 9:14AM1.01m | 10:43PM1.09m | 12:16PM1.06m | 00:52AM1.19m | 1:33PM1.26m | 1:51AM1.35m | 2:19PM1.46m | 2:33AM1.49m | 2:56PM1.63m | 3:09AM1.60m | 3:29PM1.76m | 3:41AM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:53AM0.62m | 3:33PM0.67m | 5:39AM0.64m | 6:28PM0.62m | 7:16AM0.48m | 7:43PM0.44m | 8:04AM0.30m | 8:29PM0.27m | 8:41AM0.15m | 9:06PM0.14m | 9:14AM0.03m | 9:39PM0.04m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 1564 | 878 | 505 | 258 | 350 | 231 | 1061 | 5380 | 3098 | 1643 | 772 | 156 | 158 | 110 | 90 | 59 | 761 | 585 | 579 | 391 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | S 15 | S 14 | E 10 | SE 8 | E 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SE 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SE 13 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 71 | 116 | 140 | 52 | 84 | 161 | 204 | — | — | — | 459 | 162 | 58 | 12 | 13 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 43 | 66 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | — | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | S 18 | — | SW 12 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SE 12 |
| kJ | 6 | 32 | 36 | 52 | — | 54 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 6 | 11 | 24 | 33 | 16 | 14 | 24 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | — | E 5 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 5 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1975 | — | 47 | 356 | 250 | 22 | 179 | 203 | 138 | 338 | 384 | 419 | 709 | 737 | 595 | 782 | 1275 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1027 | 238 | 289 | 289 | 37 | 37 | 289 | 70 | 289 | 629 | 266 | 186 | 589 | 70 | 16 | 461 | 16 | 238 | 25 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Whale Rock Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Whale Rock provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Whale Rock can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Whale Rock surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Whale Rock) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Whale Rock may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Whale Rock is 47 km (29 miles) from the city of Port Saint Johns. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Saint Johns. Port Saint Johns has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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