
Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SW swell with 2,013 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with E 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 11s. 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
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 shaping up for Whale Rock over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a slow start. The first recommendation isn’t until Saturday the 18th, so Friday is a write-off – marginal conditions and a score that’s barely worth a paddle. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The real standout window kicks off Saturday morning, the 18th. We’re looking at a glassy 3 ft swell from the south with a long 13-second period. That’s clean, lined-up, and the energy is moderate. It’s a reef break, so that long period groundswell will wrap in nicely. The wind is dead calm – glass. That’s a proper session. It’s an advanced spot that’s inconsistent and can get crowded sometimes, but on a morning like this, you’ll be sharing it with folks who know what they’re doing.
Saturday afternoon bumps up to 5 ft from the south, period holding at 12 seconds, and the wind swings cross-offshore. That’s clean, pushy, and the energy jumps. This is the best on offer in the first week – bigger, cleaner, and with more punch. If you can only get one session, make it Saturday arvo.
Sunday the 19th morning is another glassy one, 3 ft from the southeast with a 14-second period. Very clean, but a touch smaller. The energy is still strong, so it’ll be fun but not as meaty as Saturday.
From Monday the 20th onward, things get more mixed. Monday morning pushes 5 ft from the southeast, but the wind is cross-shore and the quality is only marginal. That afternoon the wind swings cross-onshore and it turns choppy – not worth it.
There’s a decent pulse midweek, Wednesday the 22nd afternoon, with 6 ft from the SSW at 13 seconds, but the wind is onshore and the conditions are a bit of a mystery. The energy is strong, but with onshore wind, it’s going to be a mess.
The second week has a couple of promising but less certain windows. Friday the 24th has a very long period SSW swell – 5 ft at 16 seconds, energy through the roof. But the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s a gamble. If the wind plays ball, that could be a ripper, but it’s a long way out.
Saturday the 25th sees a big jump – 7 ft from the SSW at 16 seconds, but the wind is a strong 25 mph cross-offshore. That’s a lot of water moving, and at that size, it’s expert-only. The energy is enormous, but it’s going to be heavy and tough. Sunday the 26th is still big (7 ft), but with a moderate cross-onshore, it’s choppy and messy.
After that, it fades quickly. From Monday the 28th onward, the swell drops below 3 ft and the wind stays messy. The last few days of July and into August are mostly poor, with small, weak, and choppy conditions. By the 1st of August, we’re seeing a jump back up to 7 ft, but with a strong cross-onshore wind – that’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle one.
So to sum it up: your best bet is Saturday the 18th afternoon, followed closely by Sunday morning the 19th. The second week has potential on the 24th and 25th, but it’s a long way off and the wind is a question mark. Don’t sleep on Saturday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
237 | 390 | 319 | 219 | 544 | 335 | 304 | 604 | 760 | 645 | 624 | 528 | 350 | 268 | 334 | 402 | 1002 | 256 | 429 | 699 | 700 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | cross | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:02PM1.69m | 6:10AM1.52m | 6:40PM1.62m | 6:47AM1.42m | 7:18PM1.51m | 7:23AM1.30m | 7:56PM1.39m | 8:04AM1.18m | 8:41PM1.26m | 8:56AM1.06m | 9:43PM1.15m | 10:27AM0.98m | 11:22PM1.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:42AM0.03m | 00:10AM0.19m | 12:17PM0.09m | 00:48AM0.28m | 12:52PM0.20m | 1:27AM0.38m | 1:28PM0.32m | 2:08AM0.49m | 2:08PM0.45m | 2:59AM0.58m | 2:59PM0.58m | 4:14AM0.66m | 4:23PM0.67m | ||||||||
7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
— | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 16 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 9 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSW 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ENE 8 | SSW 14 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 |
237 | 390 | 319 | 135 | 544 | 335 | 282 | 604 | 760 | 560 | 624 | 528 | 350 | 268 | 159 | 402 | 67 | 151 | 429 | 699 | 700 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | E 10 | SSE 13 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SSW 8 | SE 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | ENE 6 | SSW 16 | SE 11 | ENE 8 | SE 12 | SSW 12 | ENE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
158 | 196 | 159 | 219 | 127 | 257 | 242 | 162 | 92 | 645 | 214 | 127 | 32 | 215 | 176 | 102 | 140 | 101 | 42 | 60 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | S 15 | E 10 | SW 11 | E 10 | SE 14 | SSW 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 13 | ENE 5 | SW 11 | SSW 8 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | — | ENE 8 | SE 11 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 |
2 | — | 40 | 125 | 137 | 96 | 304 | 122 | 52 | 33 | 99 | 13 | 63 | 7 | 334 | 128 | — | 50 | 61 | 29 | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 8 | — | — | NE 5 | — | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | — | — | NE 3 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 254 | — | — | 42 | — | 74 | 287 | — | 1002 | 256 | — | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 186 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 1 | 43 | 171 | 238 | 1 | 70 | 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.










