Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 07 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
21.8° C
1.0° 

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 7 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SSW swell with 3,764 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Whale Rock in the next 16 days are 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Tue 7th Jul)2ft (0.6m) 14s
Best Surf 8AM (Fri 10th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 15s
Most Powerful11AM (Fri 10th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 15s

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


Alright, crew, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here. We’re looking at a bit of a slow-burner for the next sixteen days at Whale Rock. Not gonna lie, the start is a total dud, so don't bother paddling out just yet. We're looking at a gap with no real surf for the first few days off the bat.

The best of the best looks to be shaping up around Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th, when a solid pulse of swell rolls in. It's not for the faint of heart, so be warned.

Alright, let's break it down day by day. We kick off Tuesday the 7th and Wednesday the 8th with flat, poor conditions. Weak energy in the water, barely any juice on the energy scale, and the wind is a mess – cross-shore and lumpy. Not worth getting wet for.

Now, the first real glimmer comes Thursday morning, July 9th. A big, powerful SSW swell fills in at about 10 feet, with a period of 13 seconds, pumping some serious juice into the water. The combined energy is huge. The wind is clean, cross-offshore, which is a major positive. However, Whale Rock is a reef break for advanced surfers only, and at 10 feet this is well over the 8-foot mark – expert territory. If you’re not dialled in, stay on the beach. The swell direction is SSW, and the optimum for this spot is from the south, so it’s a good match.

Friday the 10th looks even more promising. It’s a similar story with the morning session: a 10-foot SSW swell, but now the period stretches to a very long 15 seconds. That’s groundswell, proper energy. The caveat with a period that long is it can break a bit straight at beach breaks, but it should wrap nicely around this reef. Wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit textured but still good. Again, only for the experts.

The weekend and early next week drops off significantly. Swell hangs around the 4-foot to 6-foot range with shorter periods, but the winds turn onshore and chop things up. There’s a bit of a pulse on Monday the 13th with an 11-foot easterly swell, but it’s a short-period 9-second windswell, and the wind is cross-onshore – messy. Not a good look.

After that, we get into a long, drawn-out lull from about the 16th of July right through to the end of the period. The swell drops to around 3 feet or less, with weak, not worth the effort. The water temperature is sitting at about 71°F, which is a couple degrees warmer than average for this time of year, a nice little bonus.

So, to wrap it up: If you're an expert and you can get out early morning on Thursday the 9th or Friday the 10th, that's your window. Don't bother any other time. It’s a classic case of “wait and watch.”

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 50mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Fri night, fresh winds from the ENE by Sun afternoon).

Tue
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
0
2
4
2
4
4
3
4
3
2
0
0
0
2
3
0
4
3
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)
0.5
SW
14
0.6
SSW
13
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SW
14
0.7
SSW
14
3
SSW
13
2.1
SSW
13
2.2
SSW
14
3
SSW
15
2.5
SSW
14
2.3
SSW
13
2
SSW
13
1.8
S
13
1.6
S
12
1.2
SSW
12
1.1
SSW
12
2.4
E
8
3.5
E
9
3
E
9
2.5
E
10
2.5
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
102
120
180
200
166
2801
1430
1868
3764
2725
1831
1259
1070
799
380
311
781
1747
1316
1212
1132
Wind (km/h)
20
SSW
5
WNW
10
NE
30
SSW
15
W
20
SW
20
SSW
5
SW
10
SSE
15
S
10
WSW
10
SSW
15
E
20
E
20
NE
30
ENE
20
NE
25
NE
25
ENE
15
WSW
5
SSW
Wind State
cross
off
cross-on
cross
off
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross
High Tide
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
2:41AM1.54m
3:13PM1.49m
3:30AM1.62m
Low Tide
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
8:22PM0.30m
9:00AM0.17m
9:16PM0.19m
9:45AM0.08m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
cloud
thunderstorm
heavy rain
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:03
7:03
7:03
7:01
7:01
7:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:12
5:12
5:13
5:13
5:14
5:14
5:15
5:15
 mm
1
1
3
18
9
6
12
1
4
Temp °C
22
18
22
23
18
19
19
18
18
18
18
18
18
17
18
18
17
19
20
19
19
Feels °C
17
17
19
20
15
16
16
16
17
16
16
17
17
16
16
15
13
16
16
18
19
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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