Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Whale Rock.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a rough start with a whole lot of nothing. We have a quiet spell that runs from now all the way through the first week of September. The real action doesn’t even begin to hint at itself until we get into the second week. It’s a long, flat, blown-out wait, so don’t hold your breath for anything rideable in the immediate future.

Right now, on Monday the 24th of August, we’ve got a tiny 1 ft SSW swell at Whale Rock. The combined energy is weak (159). The saving grace is a glassy, 5 km/h ESE wind that will keep the surface clean, and the water’s a comfortable 70° – that’s about 2° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s nice. But honestly, that swell is so small it’s barely worth getting wet for. It’s just surfable.

We then slide into a patch of ugly. From Tuesday the 25th right through until the end of August, the wind is a mess. Swell pops up a bit – we see 5 ft to 6 ft SSW groundswells with periods up to 17 seconds, and the energy gets strong (1441, 1955) – but the wind is cruel. It’s cross-shore, then onshore, and then howling out of the NE. By the 27th, we’re looking at near-gale force 31 mph winds smashing the place up. It’s junk. For an exposed reef like Whale Rock, forget it. You’d be better off with a kite than a paddleboard.

The first few days of September are still looking poor and marginal. A tiny 1 ft on the 1st, then a bit of a pulse on the 2nd (4 ft to 4 ft SSW at 14-15 seconds) but it’s a cross-on mess. Wednesday the 3rd brings strong winds again, though interestingly it’s a cross-offshore wind (SW 25 mph) so it might look clean, but that’s a lot of wind to deal with for the small 3 ft lump.

Now, here is the standout. Our only real chance to get excited is early September. Mark your calendar for Saturday the 5th of September. The morning is looking special. We’ve got a solid 13 ft swell hitting, but here’s the catch – it’s coming from the East with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is very strong (3937). The wind is a glassy 3 mph cross-offshore out of the SW. That’s the cleanest wind window of the whole run. This is an expert-only wave at 13 ft, it’s going to be big and powerful. The forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That is the call. Sunday the 6th is also worth a look: a dropping 7 ft to 6 ft E swell with glassy or light offshore winds in the morning and afternoon. That’s still a solid wave and much more manageable for strong intermediates. Just know that Whale Rock is an inconsistent spot, so when it fires, you want to be there.

Past that, the second week looks promising but less certain with strong onshores returning.

Rusty.

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