Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 13s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 12s period, ESE swell with 1,837 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 12s. 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m looking at Whale Rock, and the first few days are a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 71°, which is a nice little bonus (3° above the usual). The opening window on Saturday the 1st is a write-off – cross-on breeze, choppy, and the energy is only moderate (634). You’d be better off waiting.
Sunday the 2nd morning is where it gets interesting. The swell picks up to 8ft from the ESE with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy. That’s a serious groundswell with plenty of punch (1886 combined energy). It’s a proper standout for experienced surfers only – that size is too much for beginners. The only catch is Whale Rock is an exposed reef, and with that long period, the sets will be fat and powerful, breaking a bit straight. But if you’ve got the skills, it’s clean and firing.
Monday the 3rd drops off. The swell is still okay at 7ft, but the cross-on wind from the NE messes it up. The energy drops to moderate (1155). The rest of the week is pretty average: Monday afternoon through to Friday sees the swell fading, with cross-shore and cross-on winds making it choppy. The energy is moderate to weak (down to 365 by Wednesday the 5th). Not worth paddling out.
The first weekend and into the second week get worse. From Saturday the 8th through to Sunday the 16th, the swell is tiny, the wind is all over the place, and most windows are marked as poor. There’s a brief moment on Tuesday the 11th morning – 6ft from the E, clean cross-off wind from the SSW, and moderate energy (772). It’s clean, but the swell is short-period (9 seconds) and the size is just okay. Nothing special.
Honestly, the only real standout in the whole 16-day window is that Sunday the 2nd morning glassy session. After that, there’s a long, quiet run of flat or messy conditions. For a reef that’s already inconsistent, this blank spell is pretty normal for the area. The spot rarely breaks clean, and the forecasts are unlikely to change much for the better soon.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu afternoon, calm by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 603 | 859 | 1837 | 1657 | 1260 | 1042 | 734 | 502 | 551 | 596 | 494 | 320 | 257 | 164 | 264 | 294 | 693 | 321 | 487 | 260 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 5:33PM1.66m | 5:38AM1.57m | 6:02PM1.65m | 6:08AM1.51m | 6:33PM1.60m | 6:42AM1.42m | 7:09PM1.52m | 7:20AM1.31m | 7:53PM1.41m | 8:10AM1.18m | 8:54PM1.28m | 9:33AM1.06m | 10:39PM1.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:37PM0.17m | 11:45AM0.07m | 00:09AM0.20m | 12:15PM0.12m | 00:43AM0.25m | 12:48PM0.20m | 1:23AM0.34m | 1:27PM0.32m | 2:13AM0.45m | 2:18PM0.45m | 3:27AM0.56m | 3:43PM0.57m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — |
 | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 603 | 859 | 1837 | 1657 | 1260 | 1042 | 734 | 502 | 551 | 596 | 494 | 320 | 257 | 145 | 143 | 111 | 693 | 321 | 487 | 260 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 31 | 24 | 35 | 31 | 29 | 97 | 82 | 68 | 38 | 37 | 21 | 19 | 43 | 164 | 264 | 294 | 92 | 83 | 81 | 137 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 16 | S 14 | S 13 | SW 14 | S 9 | S 10 | — | — | — | S 18 | SSW 16 | SW 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SSW 16 | ESE 5 | SE 6 |
| kJ | — | 10 | 14 | 13 | 53 | 16 | 7 | — | — | — | 7 | 26 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 23 | 12 | 229 | 11 | 9 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | — | ENE 6 | SW 4 | SSW 5 | S 5 | — | ENE 3 | E 4 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | 115 | — | 44 | 16 | 41 | 29 | — | 3 | 19 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 589 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 0 | 23 | 289 | 0 | 43 | 186 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 114 | 114 | 0 | 266 | 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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