Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 11s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 1,757 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period with E 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 Sunday (Aug 16) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. 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 1.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your wettie, let’s talk about what we’ve got on the radar.
Let’s be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience. The swell windows are messy and the wind gods are having a laugh, mostly serving up cross-onshore slop. The first real opportunity we get is the Tuesday morning before the end of the week. It’s not huge, but that cleaner water and a bit of energy will have a few of us sneaking out for a paddle. The energy jumps up from that point, but so does the wind, and we’re stuck with choppy, lumpy conditions for the better part of the middle stretch.
There is one day that stands out, though. The Friday morning in the second week has the strongest energy readings we've seen all period, with a nice 7ft of long-period S/SW groundswell charging in. That’s the kind of juice that gets a place like Whale Rock firing. But, the wind is straight onshore, which is going to make it a battle. You’ll be trading off size for a whole lot of surface chop. If the banks line up, it could still offer some heavy, this-is-for-the-experienced-crowd only type waves. It’s a big call, but that’s the one with the most stakes.
The Saturday that follows has a solid 7ft to 8ft of swell, but the period drops significantly and that strong wind is still there. It’s going to be lumpy and pretty wild. Honestly, if you’re not an expert, you'd be better off watching this one from the sand. And with that kind of wind and swell direction, for a reef setup, this could be more of a spectator event than a surfing one.
Later on, around the 26th, we see a return of that long-period, 16-second groundswell in the 5ft range. It looks promising on the charts, but the wind is still a problem, coming cross-onshore. It’s a chance for some cleaner lines than the blockbuster day earlier, but it's still making you work for it. As we get into the very end of the forecast on the 31st, it seems to dry right up, with only small dribbles left, so don’t hold your breath for a grand finale.
Whale Rock (Big Island) is the only game in town, and it’s always inconsistent here, so you've got to be ready to make the most of those smaller windows of opportunity. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a 3/2 is your best bet.
Hang in there, and keep an eye on the charts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the SW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 11 | E 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 524 | 284 | 23 | 18 | 424 | 284 | 226 | 57 | 183 | 309 | 362 | 373 | 249 | 325 | 1531 | 1106 | 569 | 328 | 138 | 237 | 335 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:02PM1.69m | 6:09AM1.49m | 6:31PM1.56m | 6:38AM1.37m | 6:59PM1.42m | 7:06AM1.24m | 7:29PM1.27m | 7:37AM1.10m | 8:07PM1.12m | 8:30AM0.96m | 9:52PM0.99m | 12:26PM0.93m | 00:56AM1.04m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:43AM0.04m | 00:10AM0.19m | 12:12PM0.15m | 00:39AM0.29m | 12:41PM0.28m | 1:08AM0.42m | 1:10PM0.43m | 1:42AM0.55m | 1:43PM0.58m | 2:33AM0.68m | 2:43PM0.72m | 5:18AM0.75m | 6:19PM0.76m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 11 | ENE 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 7 | SSW 11 | ENE 7 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 524 | 284 | 836 | 606 | 424 | 284 | 226 | 173 | 130 | 309 | 362 | 373 | 249 | 325 | 1531 | 1106 | 569 | 114 | 138 | 28 | 156 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | — | SSW 12 | ENE 7 | — | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 9 | 8 | 23 | 18 | 36 | 42 | 67 | 57 | 183 | 99 | 73 | 69 | 48 | 33 | 34 | 22 | — | 328 | 49 | — | 67 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 10 | SW 16 | SW 10 | — | SW 16 | SSW 8 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 11 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 39 | — | 127 | 6 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | 29 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 11 | ENE 7 | ENE 11 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | SSW 9 | S 3 | — | NE 3 | ENE 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 6 | S 6 | — | NE 3 | ENE 5 | — | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 731 | 212 | 1220 | — | 5 | 4 | 30 | 3 | — | 6 | 31 | 25 | 98 | 112 | — | 4 | 74 | — | 121 | 237 | 335 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 221 | 266 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 10 | 186 | 118 | 6 | 39 | 1 | 43 | 403 | 289 | 154 | 446 | 1022 | 238 |
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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