Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Issued: 7 pm 05 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
22.1° C

1.3°C warmer than normal for this time of year

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 5 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 2,989 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 6 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period with SE 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 Monday (Jul 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 6s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Mon 6th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 11s
Best Surf 8AM (Thu 9th Jul)6ft (1.8m) 13s
Most Powerful 8AM (Fri 10th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down this stretch at Whale Rock. It’s a story about waiting for the right moment, with a couple of proper sessions for the experienced crew.

The week starts slow. Monday and Tuesday are flat and poor. Wednesday morning the 8th of July shows a glimmer with a clean, glassy 2ft SSW swell, pushing the combined wave energy to a moderate 202, but still small for this advanced break.

The first real standout is Thursday the 9th of July. The morning is the pick: a solid 6ft SSW groundswell with a 13-second period. The water temp is about average for the time of year. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1052, and with clean, cross-offshore wind, this is excellent for experienced surfers only. This one is worth the wait.

Friday the 10th of July morning is another highlight, but it’s for experts only. Swell hits 8ft from the SSW, the period holds at a nice 14 seconds, and the wave energy is very strong (2955). The wind is light and cross-off, so it will be pristine. This is the biggest, best-looking swell of the whole outlook, but it’s serious. Crowds are possible here.

After that, the weekend gets blown out by fresh northeasterly winds, turning things lumpy. There’s a lull through the middle of the second week. Sunday the 12th of July morning offers a clean, cross-off 5ft SSW swell with strong energy (1053), so it’s another good expert window.

Looking further out, Monday the 13th of July morning is glassy with a 4ft S swell and a very long 15-second period. The energy is strong (1168) and conditions are perfect. This is groundswell at its finest, with long, powerful lines.

The following days drop off. A couple of smaller, glassy mornings appear around the 14th and 15th of July, but the swell is weak. By the 16th of July, there’s an 8ft swell but it’s under rain and strong wind. The outlook runs out of steam into the 21st with tiny, weak swell and messy onshore winds.

Honestly, this spot only really works for the advanced and expert crowd. The two must-not-miss windows are the mornings of Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th of July.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Fri night, fresh winds from the NE by Sat afternoon).

Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sun
12
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
0
1
1
0
1
2
0
3
4
1
4
4
3
3
0
0
2
4
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SE
11
0.8
SE
10
0.8
SE
10
0.6
SE
10
0.5
SW
14
0.5
SW
14
0.6
SSW
13
0.7
SSW
14
0.6
SW
14
1.7
SSW
8
1.8
SSW
13
2
SSW
13
2.2
SSW
14
2.5
SSW
14
2.4
SSW
14
2.1
SSW
13
1.8
S
13
1.6
S
12
1.3
SSW
12
1.6
SSW
12
1.7
S
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
228
156
124
80
102
102
120
180
151
347
1044
1359
1833
2948
2253
1474
1070
799
503
671
490
Wind (km/h)
10
NNW
5
NE
20
NE
10
NNW
5
NNE
20
SW
10
NNW
5
NW
30
SSW
15
W
15
SW
25
SSW
15
SW
10
SW
10
ESE
10
NNE
30
NE
35
NE
25
WSW
10
SSW
15
SSE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
7:12AM1.33m
7:49PM1.43m
7:59AM1.25m
8:40PM1.38m
9:00AM1.16m
9:47PM1.33m
10:24AM1.11m
11:11PM1.32m
12:00PM1.13m
00:35AM1.36m
1:20PM1.23m
1:45AM1.45m
2:22PM1.36m
Low Tide
1:15AM0.38m
1:23PM0.29m
2:03AM0.43m
2:09PM0.37m
3:03AM0.48m
3:07PM0.44m
4:19AM0.51m
4:26PM0.50m
5:48AM0.49m
5:57PM0.49m
7:07AM0.40m
7:18PM0.40m
8:09AM0.29m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:03
7:03
7:03
7:03
7:03
7:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:10
5:10
5:12
5:12
5:13
5:13
5:14
5:14
 mm
Temp °C
19
22
23
22
28
25
18
27
21
18
19
19
18
17
18
17
20
22
19
18
20
Feels °C
16
18
19
19
25
22
17
24
15
15
16
14
14
15
16
17
16
17
14
16
18
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SE
11
0.8
SE
10
0.8
SE
10
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
8
0.7
ENE
8
0.7
SSW
14
0.6
SW
14
1.3
SSW
8
1.8
SSW
13
0.4
NE
8
2.2
SSW
14
2.5
SSW
14
2.4
SSW
14
2.1
SSW
13
1.8
S
13
1.6
S
12
1.4
E
7
1.2
E
8
1
E
8
Energy kJ
228
156
124
82
70
67
52
180
151
191
1044
16
1833
2948
2253
1474
1070
799
189
172
113
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
ENE
5
0.5
ENE
6
0.3
E
11
0.6
SE
10
0.5
SE
10
0.5
SW
14
0.6
SSW
13
0.6
ENE
7
0.4
ENE
7
0.6
SSW
14
0.4
NE
7
0.2
E
9
0.3
ENE
8
0.3
ENE
8
0.3
ENE
8
0.3
ENE
8
0.3
ENE
8
0.2
E
9
1.3
SSW
12
1.3
E
8
0.8
SSW
11
Energy kJ
24
20
20
80
47
102
120
36
19
125
14
7
13
14
13
13
11
7
503
198
148
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
ESE
11
0.3
E
11
0.3
SW
13
0.4
SW
12
0.5
SW
14
0.5
SE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
NE
7
0.2
E
10
0.1
SE
16
0.2
E
9
0.1
SE
13
0.1
SE
13
0.4
ENE
7
0.1
SW
18
0.1
S
18
Energy kJ
40
21
27
37
102
45
22
22
22
12
8
10
7
7
7
18
12
6
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
NE
6
0.7
ENE
7
1.4
NE
7
0.4
SSW
3
1.2
SSW
5
1.7
SSW
8
2
SSW
13
1
E
6
1.6
SSW
12
1.7
S
9
Energy kJ
86
38
189
4
74
347
1359
64
671
490
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
1
1
2
1
2
1
3
4
3
4
4
4
4
3
4
3
4
3
Distance (km)
0
3
43
0
0
23
0
0
187
0
0
238
0
0
289
16
289
266
1
0
70
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
4
4
5
5
4
4
4
3
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
6
4
8
7
5
5
9
8
9
9
5
5
6
5
8
5
5
8
6
5
5
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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