Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, S swell with 4,587 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 15s 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 (Aug 25) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what we’ve got on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch ahead for anyone looking to get wet. The overall pattern is pretty bleak, with the best waves likely being small and heavily compromised by the wind. We’re looking at a long gap of poor to marginal conditions before anything even starts to look half-decent way out.
There isn’t a single standout session that I’d get excited about. The only break on the menu is Whale Rock. It’s an exposed reef setup, but it’s inconsistent and only for advanced surfers. That alone should tell you the pickings are slim.
We start with a couple of sessions that are just barely on the radar. On Tuesday morning, August 25th, there’s a 5-foot swell from the SSW with a long 15-second period, but the wind is a 9 mph cross-shore from the SSW, creating some chop. The combined energy is moderate (966). That afternoon the wind picks up to 12 mph, making things worse. It’s just not worth the drive.
Wednesday, August 26th sees the swell bumping up to 7 feet from the S with a 17-second period, but that cross-onshore wind (9 mph) is already killing it. The energy is building (2448), but the surface is choppy. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the East at 16 mph, the swell hits 10 feet, and the place is a complete mess. At that size and with that much wind, it’s a no-go for paddle surfing – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Thursday, August 27th is outright blown out with 25-31 mph cross-onshore winds and messy, lumpy conditions. Then we hit a long, dry spell. From Friday, August 28th all the way through to Monday, September 8th, the surf is either too small, too windy, or just plain ugly. Days go by with wave heights under 3 feet and combined energy dropping into the low hundreds or even double digits. The wind is relentless from the NE quarter, chopping up anything that might have form.
Finally, a tiny glimmer appears on the far end. On Tuesday morning, September 8th, we get a light north-northeast cross-shore wind at just 3 mph, with a 3-foot swell from the SSE. The period is 12 seconds, so there’s some shape potential, but the energy is weak (232). The water temp is sitting around 70°F, which is only a touch warmer than average for this time of year. A very long shot for a clean, small-wave session, but it’s the only time in 16 days the wind really drops off.
The rest of that second week into September 9th fizzles out with tiny, blown-out leftovers. We get a few days of clean but near-flat conditions, which sums up this whole outlook. Sometimes it just runs this dry, and this is one of those times.
Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Wed morning, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri morning, min 19°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 17 | S 17 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSE 12 | SSW 7 | SSW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
949 | 1427 | 806 | 2441 | 4587 | 2221 | 1138 | 448 | 604 | 416 | 342 | 369 | 285 | 137 | 63 | 40 | 142 | 85 | 14 | 312 | 197 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 2:51PM1.36m | 2:55AM1.43m | 3:17PM1.50m | 3:22AM1.54m | 3:43PM1.62m | 3:49AM1.61m | 4:09PM1.71m | 4:16AM1.66m | 4:35PM1.77m | 4:44AM1.67m | 5:02PM1.78m | 5:12AM1.64m | 5:31PM1.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:39AM0.35m | 8:51PM0.37m | 9:05AM0.22m | 9:19PM0.25m | 9:30AM0.11m | 9:46PM0.15m | 9:55AM0.03m | 10:14PM0.08m | 10:21AM-0.02m | 10:42PM0.04m | 10:48AM-0.03m | 11:10PM0.05m | 11:15AM0.00m | 11:41PM0.09m | |||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 17 | S 17 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 13 | ENE 9 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSW 9 |
949 | 1427 | 806 | 2441 | 4587 | 2221 | 1138 | 448 | 1043 | 416 | 770 | 770 | 285 | 137 | 1117 | 692 | 551 | 356 | 225 | 173 | 197 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | E 9 | S 7 | E 9 | — | — | — | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSE 16 | S 12 | S 11 | SW 14 | SSW 10 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | ENE 10 |
11 | 6 | 43 | 7 | — | — | — | 219 | 604 | 84 | 342 | 369 | 8 | 10 | 63 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 157 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SE 12 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | S 16 | — | SSE 16 | S 15 | SW 15 | — | SW 14 | — | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | — | — | SE 11 |
6 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 183 | — | 84 | 170 | 9 | — | 7 | — | 6 | 6 | 9 | — | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 4 | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | — |
— | 17 | — | — | — | 133 | 661 | 1445 | 1909 | 745 | 1380 | 1463 | 856 | 1449 | 1797 | 46 | 142 | 85 | 175 | 312 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 238 | 289 | 412 | 412 | 118 | 113 | 221 | 113 | 143 | 266 | 3 | 398 | 114 | 0 | 3 | 113 | 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.











