Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 3,805 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period with SSW 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 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 14s period. 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 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) 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 3.0m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's take a long, hard look at what the ocean’s got cookin’ for Whale Rock. Strap in, because it’s a bit of a bumpy ride for the next couple of weeks.
The next week and a half is looking pretty grim, if I’m being honest. We’ve got a whole lot of days where the wind is just not playing ball, blowing cross-on or cross-shore, and the wave quality is suffering for it. There’s a good stretch from the 3rd of September right through to the 13th where conditions are mostly poor for surfing. You’ll see some size pop up around the 4th with an 12ft SSW swell, but with a fresh cross-onshore breeze, it’ll be a lumpy, choppy mess — more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.
Water temp is sitting around 68°, which is about 1° cooler than average for this time of year. Nothing wild, just a touch of autumn coolness in the air.
The one true standout, the only real light in the tunnel, is showing up early on Monday the 14th of September. Whale Rock is an advanced reef break that’s inconsistent, so this is a special treat. We’ve got a solid 6ft groundswell rolling in from the south with a very long period of 14 seconds. That means serious, well-shaped energy. But the real kicker here is the wind: a glassy, light NNE breeze. That’s the magic word. It’s going to be smooth as a mirror. The combined swell energy is pumping at a strong (1212) level. This is the session for the experienced crew who know the lineup. The trade-off with that long period is it might run a bit straight on the beach, but for a reef setup like this, it’ll be pure gold.
Beyond that morning, the wind switches back onshore and it's back to square one. Wednesday the 16th offers a half-decent 5ft swell from the SSW in the afternoon, but the cross-shore wind will put a chop on it, making it a marginal call. The confidence on that Monday morning is high because it’s close in, but the rest of the second week is a lottery.
So, to wrap it up: sit tight through a long, windy stretch, and circle that Monday the 14th on the calendar. That’s the one to get wet for.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 51mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 23°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Wed night, strong winds from the SSW by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Sat night, strong winds from the ENE by Sun night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 7 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | E 10 | SSW 22 | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 15 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 536 | 460 | 254 | 217 | 377 | 2375 | 1810 | 909 | 582 | 244 | 297 | 384 | 555 | 3579 | 1977 | 551 | 290 | 301 | 166 | 81 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 6:36PM1.54m | 6:50AM1.33m | 7:17PM1.38m | 7:37AM1.16m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:49AM0.31m | 12:55PM0.33m | 1:36AM0.46m | 1:46PM0.51m | 2:53AM0.62m | 3:33PM0.67m | 5:39AM0.64m | 6:28PM0.62m | 7:16AM0.48m | 7:43PM0.44m | 8:04AM0.30m | 8:29PM0.27m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | |  |  | | | |
 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 33 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 19 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | ENE 6 | SSW 11 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | E 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SSW 10 | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 15 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 536 | 460 | 52 | 217 | 232 | 142 | 45 | 909 | 582 | 244 | 297 | 221 | 167 | 3579 | 1977 | 551 | 290 | 522 | 460 | 338 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SW 12 | — | NE 8 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 12 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSW 22 | — | — | S 11 | SSW 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 |
| kJ | 308 | 94 | 50 | 104 | 52 | — | 18 | 119 | 140 | 195 | 119 | 43 | 555 | — | — | 292 | 173 | 301 | 166 | 81 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | NE 8 | E 9 | NE 8 | SSW 11 | — | S 18 | ENE 10 | E 10 | SSW 9 | E 10 | S 14 | S 13 | — | — | — | — | S 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 76 | 9 | 38 | 10 | 25 | — | 6 | 33 | 52 | 86 | 71 | 35 | 56 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 42 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 3 | S 7 | S 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | — | 56 | 254 | 6 | 377 | 2375 | 1810 | 74 | 2 | 114 | 106 | 384 | 445 | 350 | 620 | 821 | 682 | 778 | 759 | 666 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 154 | 0 | 20 | 39 | 533 | 1687 | 2851 | 643 | 289 | 1024 | 16 | 643 | 289 | 289 | 434 | 589 | 73 | 133 | 266 | 16 |
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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