
Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with 3,215 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s 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 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 3.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks at Whale Rock.
First thing you gotta know, this spot is a bit of a tease. It's an advanced reef break, inconsistent, and it's a touch warmer than the norm for this time of year, with the water sitting at 71°. But when it lines up, it can be a real gem.
The forecast kicks off on Friday, the 31st of July. We've got a solid 6 ft swell from the SE, with a period of 9 seconds, and a light onshore breeze from the ESE at 6 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 917, but it's a bit of a messy setup. The wind is onshore, so it's not going to be that clean. It's a bit of a marginal call, honestly.
Saturday the 1st of August is more of the same, with a similar 6-6 ft swell from the ESE. The wind is a light cross-onshore, which just adds a bit of texture to the surface. It's rideable, but nothing to get the heart racing.
Sunday the 2nd of August sees the swell bump up a touch to 8 ft from the ESE, and the period stretches out to 11 seconds, giving it a bit more push. The energy is strong, hitting 1474. But the wind is still cross-onshore, so the morning's cleanest window is a bit of a gamble. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 9 mph, making it a bit choppier.
The start of the week, Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th, is a bit of a write-off. The swell drops, the wind gets messy, and the conditions are poor. It's a good time to check your gear and wait.
Then we get a bit of a shift. Thursday the 6th of August, the wind swings around to a cross-offshore from the SW, blowing at 22 mph. The swell is 6 ft from the SSW with a very long period of 15 seconds, and the energy is strong at 1325. The morning is looking clean. This is a long-period groundswell, so it's going to be a bit more powerful and walled up, but it's a reef break, so it should handle it well. This is a standout moment for the more experienced crew.
The following week is a mixed bag of strong winds and small, clean windows. The biggest highlight is Sunday the 9th of August. The swell jumps to a hefty 12 ft from the SSW, with a period of 12 seconds and a massive energy reading of 5096. That's a lot of water moving. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it's not going to be glassy, but for a big, powerful swell at a reef, it's going to be an absolute monster. This is strictly for experts only, as it's well over 8 ft.
After that, it gets a bit messy again. There's a small, clean window on the 11th, but the swell is tiny. Then, on Thursday the 13th of August, we get another pulse of SSW swell at 8 ft with a 14-second period, and the energy is very strong at 2348. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it should be reasonably clean. This is another good option for the experts.
The tail end of the forecast is a bit of a fade-out. The swell drops, and the wind is mostly onshore. Friday the 14th of August has a strong cross-offshore wind, but the swell is small and short-period, not really worth the fight.
So, to sum it up: the best bets are the long-period groundswell on Thursday the 6th of August for the clean, cross-offshore conditions, and the massive, powerful groundswell on Sunday the 9th of August for the big-wave hunters. Both are for advanced surfers only. The rest of the time, it's a lot of waiting and watching.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
626 | 591 | 508 | 554 | 665 | 1504 | 1425 | 1400 | 1144 | 836 | 706 | 529 | 391 | 386 | 267 | 198 | 168 | 209 | 1208 | 1123 | 2114 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | on |
High Tide | 5:04PM1.64m | 5:09AM1.59m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:49AM0.06m | 11:07PM0.17m | 11:17AM0.05m | 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 | |||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 14 |
626 | 591 | 508 | 554 | 665 | 1504 | 1425 | 1400 | 1144 | 836 | 706 | 529 | 391 | 386 | 267 | 198 | 168 | 136 | 102 | 65 | 2114 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 15 | NE 8 | SSW 17 | E 10 |
147 | 203 | 36 | 43 | 31 | 41 | 35 | 33 | 16 | 97 | 82 | 44 | 39 | 37 | 22 | 17 | 6 | 209 | 31 | 172 | 68 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | — | SSW 15 | — | — | — | S 13 | S 13 | SW 14 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | — | — | SW 11 | SW 11 | ENE 7 | SW 19 | SW 14 | — |
144 | — | 42 | — | — | — | 14 | 13 | 53 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 19 | 18 | 5 | 15 | 100 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | ENE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | SW 4 | — | — | — | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | NE 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 21 | 74 | 44 | 55 | 26 | — | — | — | 1208 | 1123 | 17 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 593 | 643 | 16 | 20 | 70 | 0 | 10 | 238 | 0 | 37 | 289 | 0 | 16 | 186 | 0 | 16 | 182 | 0 | 401 | 461 | 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.











