Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
20.2°C
0.1° 

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 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with 6,070 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Whale Rock in the next 16 days are 3.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Sun 6th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 11s
Best Surf 8AM (Sun 6th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 11s
Most Powerful 2AM (Mon 7th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Right, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve got the long-range gen for the rock. To be honest, the next week and a bit is looking like a write-off for getting a proper wave. The forecast is pretty bleak, with most days showing cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. We’re looking at a solid stretch of poor surf, so don't get your hopes up for anything decent until the back half of next week.

The first sign of life comes late on Sunday the 13th. It's not going to be big, but we’ll see a bit of a lift with some 3ft SSW swell and a light offshore wind. The water temperature here is about average for this time of year, so you won't need the thickest suit just yet. This window is short-lived, fading out by Monday morning, and then we're back into the doldrums of cross-shore junk and small, weak swell for a few more days.

The real standout, the one worth circling on the calendar, looks like it's going to be Thursday the 17th into Friday the 18th. That's nine and ten days out, so treat it as a promising set-up rather than a sure thing. We’ve got a bigger pulse of SSW groundswell, with the Thursday afternoon showing a solid 6ft at 15 seconds. That’s a proper long-period groundswell, and it’s going to have some grunt behind it. That same S direction is right in the wheelhouse for Whale Rock (Big Island), so the break should be handling it well. The energy is strong too, with combined swell energy hitting 1599 on Thursday arvo.

Friday morning still has some size at 6ft and cleaner, lighter winds, which could be the pick of the bunch. The energy is still solid at 1498. There is decent groundswell, but with that long period, it might be breaking a bit straight at a beach break, but at a reef setup like Whale Rock, it should be better. This is solidly expert territory at that size, and with it being an inconsistent wave, you'll want to know what you're doing. It’s not a beginner wave; it's powerful and for the experienced crew only.

The winds for that Thursday and Friday look like they’ll be workable, with a cross-off or light onshore flow, and not the howling mess we’ve seen earlier. So, keep the faith, don't bother paddling out for the first week, and set your alarm for that Thursday and Friday session next week. It’s got the makings of something decent if it all comes together.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, strong winds from the NE by Mon afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
0
4
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SSW
11
1.1
E
10
1.1
SSW
22
3
S
18
2.5
S
16
2
S
14
1.5
S
13
0.9
SSE
11
0.7
SSE
11
0.6
SSE
10
0.5
SSE
10
0.4
SSE
10
0.3
SW
14
0.3
SSE
9
0.2
SSW
17
0.7
SW
16
0.6
SSW
15
0.5
SW
14
1.1
S
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
297
239
1071
6070
3345
1643
772
194
117
80
62
33
33
17
29
261
146
99
121
Wind (km/h)
10
NE
20
E
20
E
20
ENE
35
ENE
40
NE
25
NNE
25
NE
30
NE
20
NE
15
NE
25
NE
15
SW
20
SSW
15
SSW
15
SW
15
SSW
15
SE
0
S
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
10:43PM1.09m
12:16PM1.06m
00:52AM1.19m
1:33PM1.26m
1:51AM1.35m
2:19PM1.46m
2:33AM1.49m
2:56PM1.63m
3:09AM1.60m
3:29PM1.76m
3:41AM1.67m
4:00PM1.82m
4:12AM1.69m
Low Tide
5:39AM0.64m
6:28PM0.62m
7:16AM0.48m
7:43PM0.44m
8:04AM0.30m
8:29PM0.27m
8:41AM0.15m
9:06PM0.14m
9:14AM0.03m
9:39PM0.04m
9:45AM-0.03m
10:09PM0.00m
rain showers
light rain
light rain
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:13
6:13
6:11
6:09
6:09
6:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:47
5:49
5:49
5:50
5:51
5:51
5:52
 mm
1
5
3
2
2
Temp °C
18
18
18
18
19
20
18
21
22
21
26
24
24
21
21
20
20
20
20
Feels °C
16
16
15
15
13
14
12
18
19
19
25
23
24
20
20
20
20
19
22
  • 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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