Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with 6,070 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s period with SW 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
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-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
| 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, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for the next couple of weeks. It’s a slow start, but there’s a glimmer if you’re patient.
The only break in the game is Whale Rock, a reef setup for advanced surfers only. It’s inconsistent and you might have company sometimes. The water temp is around 68°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We kick off on Sunday, September 6th, and it’s ugly. Light rain with an onshore breeze at 15 mph and a 3ft SSW swell (10 seconds) gives us poor conditions. Wave energy is moderate (726), but the wind is trashing it. The afternoon is marginal with a weirdly long 22-second period swell at 4ft, but still not worth it.
From Monday through the end of the first week, it’s all cross-onshore wind and messy surf. Swell heights bounce from 1ft to 8ft, but the wind is from the NE or ENE, blowing hard and making everything lumpy. The combined energy hits a huge peak on Monday morning (3265) with an 8ft S swell at 16 seconds, but with that cross-onshore wind, it’s junk. Long period groundswell wasted.
We hit a real dry spell from Wednesday, September 9th through Saturday, September 12th. Swell drops to almost nothing, with weak energy readings (as low as 23) and cross-shore winds chopping everything up. Nothing to ride.
The first sign of life shows up on Sunday, September 13th. The morning brings a 8ft E swell with a 9-second period and a light ESE breeze at 3 mph. The combined energy is strong (1556), but it’s rated marginal due to tides. The afternoon cleans up with a light cross-offshore breeze from the north at 6 mph and a 3ft SSW swell (14 seconds). Clean, but small.
Monday and Tuesday of the second week are back to mediocrity. The real standout is Friday, September 18th in the morning. Glassy conditions with a light ENE breeze at 3 mph and a solid 6ft S swell at 12 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1276), and conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is your window. The long period groundswell will shape up nicely on the reef, but it’s for experts only.
The final weekend, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September, brings more solid swell (7ft to 8ft from the S and SE), but the wind is messy again. Saturday has cross-shore chop, and Sunday gets hammered by a 28 mph WSW wind. High energy, but not clean.
The pick: Friday morning, September 18th at Whale Rock. Glassy, a solid 6ft S groundswell, and strong energy. That’s your session if you’ve got the chops.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun morning, strong winds from the ENE by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 25°C on Wed morning, min 18°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SW 14 | SSW 6 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 231 | 1071 | 6070 | 3098 | 1663 | 772 | 198 | 119 | 82 | 63 | 33 | 53 | 45 | 24 | 261 | 113 | 105 | 240 | 233 | 414 | 673 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 4:00PM1.82m | 4:12AM1.69m | 4:29PM1.83m | 4:40AM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:45AM-0.03m | 10:09PM0.00m | 10:14AM-0.05m | 10:38PM0.01m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | 7 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSW 12 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 231 | 1071 | 6070 | 3098 | 1663 | 772 | 198 | 119 | 82 | 63 | 33 | 534 | 343 | 243 | 211 | 138 | 105 | 240 | 233 | 109 | 171 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SW 16 | S 7 | ENE 9 | SW 12 | ENE 9 | S 20 | SSW 17 |
| kJ | 161 | 167 | — | — | — | 336 | 149 | 58 | 35 | 12 | 11 | 39 | 17 | 14 | 261 | 76 | 110 | 39 | 110 | 8 | 673 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 24 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | S 18 | — | S 16 | SE 13 | SSE 13 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SE 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SE 15 | SSW 12 | SE 12 | S 11 |
| kJ | 230 | 23 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 5 | 7 | 16 | 53 | 15 | 24 | 5 | 113 | 55 | 8 | 54 | 6 | 110 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | — | — | ENE 9 | ENE 6 | ESE 7 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 104 | 211 | 169 | 167 | 394 | 390 | 452 | 597 | 567 | 471 | 528 | 890 | 45 | 104 | 29 | — | — | 118 | 57 | 414 | 588 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 643 | 289 | 254 | 261 | 398 | 266 | 186 | 412 | 70 | 133 | 266 | 0 | 114 | 114 | 1 | 238 | 238 | 290 | 289 | 289 | 0 |
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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