Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with 2,678 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whale Rock this week:
The surf forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whale Rock in the next 16 days are 2.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it's your local surf reporter Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the 16-day window starting now.
The overall picture is a bit of a mixed bag, with a few standout sessions but plenty of wind and chop to work through. The first real window of quality surf kicks off on Tuesday, the 21st of July.
The pick of the early run is undoubtedly Tuesday morning at Whale Rock. We've got a clean 4.3ft swell coming from the SE and the wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm at 5 km/h. That's as good as it gets for clean conditions. The water temp is sitting at 70.9°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The wave energy is moderate (649), and with a 12-second period, you're looking at a nice, workable groundswell. This is a solid, clean option for the day.
The swell softens a bit through Wednesday and Thursday, but Thursday morning, the 23rd of July, cleans up nicely with a cross-offshore breeze and a 3.3ft SSW swell. It's small, but clean. The real standout, however, is pushing into the long-range. Saturday morning, the 25th of July, is looking like the best bet of the entire outlook. We've got a 5.2ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, generating strong wave energy (1045), and the wind is glassy again. This is excellent for experienced surfers, but at that size, it's a bit too much for beginners. The long period means it'll be powerful and better suited to a reef setup like Whale Rock.
The second week gets a bit messy. There's a big spike in swell energy around the 29th of July into early August, with waves pushing 11.5ft to 13.1ft, but the wind is consistently cross-onshore or onshore, making it choppy and tough. The energy numbers are massive (over 4000), but the quality just isn't there for a clean paddle session. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest. There might be a brief window on the morning of the 4th of August with a 5.6ft SSE swell and lighter winds, but it's not a sure thing.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 6 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 425 | 433 | 610 | 434 | 292 | 209 | 372 | 263 | 344 | 657 | 1769 | 1687 | 1021 | 886 | 837 | 461 | 288 | 167 | 111 | 175 | 275 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:04AM1.18m | 8:41PM1.26m | 8:56AM1.06m | 9:43PM1.15m | 10:27AM0.98m | 11:22PM1.10m | 12:30PM1.00m | 00:57AM1.13m | 1:45PM1.09m | 1:57AM1.22m | 2:31PM1.20m | 2:39AM1.32m | 3:07PM1.32m | 3:13AM1.42m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:08PM0.45m | 2:59AM0.58m | 2:59PM0.58m | 4:14AM0.66m | 4:23PM0.67m | 6:05AM0.66m | 6:21PM0.68m | 7:30AM0.58m | 7:40PM0.60m | 8:19AM0.47m | 8:28PM0.49m | 8:55AM0.36m | 9:05PM0.39m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — |
 | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 425 | 433 | 380 | 434 | 292 | 125 | 372 | 263 | 85 | 657 | 1769 | 1687 | 1021 | 886 | 837 | 461 | 288 | 314 | 197 | 111 | 275 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SE 12 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | SSW 14 | S 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ENE 5 | E 9 | SE 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 17 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 73 | 288 | 610 | 358 | 269 | 209 | 67 | 142 | 88 | 253 | 156 | 30 | 16 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 167 | 111 | 166 | 64 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | — | SSW 12 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | SE 11 | S 19 | SSW 11 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 151 | 15 | 7 | 34 | — | 164 | 142 | 51 | 22 | 60 | 47 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | — | — | 5 | 29 | 49 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | SW 4 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 8 | S 11 | — | E 11 | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | SSW 2 | SSW 6 | SSW 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 10 | 77 | 121 | 17 | 28 | 70 | 344 | 516 | — | 59 | — | — | 15 | 52 | 217 | 689 | 1 | 175 | 214 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 266 | 0 | 43 | 113 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 37 | 118 | 266 | 10 | 261 | 330 | 589 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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