Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
20.2°C
0.2° 

Whale Rock surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


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 TypeTime (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 Forecast

Moderate 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 Summary

Mostly 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
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
4
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
SSE
10
2.3
SSE
9
1.9
SE
8
1.7
ESE
8
1.2
SSW
11
1
SSW
10
1.1
SSW
22
3
S
18
2.5
S
16
2
S
14
1.5
S
13
0.8
SSE
11
0.8
SSE
11
0.7
SSE
10
0.6
SSE
11
0.4
SE
14
0.4
SSE
12
0.4
SSE
13
0.4
SE
13
0.4
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1975
878
505
356
350
231
1061
5380
3098
1643
772
162
158
110
90
59
56
68
43
66
Wind (km/h)
20
SSE
20
ENE
25
NE
25
ENE
10
NE
15
NNE
20
E
20
NE
35
NE
40
NE
25
NNE
20
NE
30
NE
20
NE
20
NE
25
NE
10
NNE
30
SSW
20
SSW
15
SSW
Wind State
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
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
light rain
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:13
6:13
6:11
6:09
6:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
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
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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