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 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, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. 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 offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| 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
Right, folks. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.
The swell window is open for Whale Rock, but it’s a mixed bag overall. There’s a solid run of S to SSW groundswell, but the wind is going to be the main character in this story, and it’s a moody one. The water is sitting at 70°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
We’ve got a few windows of absolute magic, but they’re short. The standout is Sunday, 19 July. The morning is glassy with a clean 4ft S swell at 11 seconds, and the afternoon is even better – glassy again, with a 5ft SE swell still at 11 seconds. That’s going to be pure, lined-up reef waves. The combined energy is moderate (695 to 786), but the quality will be top-notch. The period is solid, so expect some proper sets with good shape. If you can only get out once, this is the day.
Thursday morning, 24 July is another cracker. Glassy conditions, 4ft SSW swell at 13 seconds, and a combined energy of 585. It’s a smaller day, but that’s a beautiful, clean wave. The crowd is a concern, though – it’s a spot that can get busy, so get in early.
Looking further out, Monday morning, 27 July has a pulse of energy with a 5ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 1895. The wind is offshore from the SW, which is clean. The swell is big, but it’s not too big for experienced surfers, though the 16-second period means it’ll be a bit more powerful and walled-up at a reef. That’s a serious, long-range groundswell – well worth the wait, but keep an eye on the forecast as it gets closer.
There are plenty of days where the wind ruins the party. The NE trades get strong, or the SW winds howl, making it choppy and messy. The later part of the window, from 30 July onwards, drops right off into tiny, weak surf with poor conditions. That’s a gap of about four or five days of really nothing to write home about.
So, for the best of the bunch: Sunday 19 July is the absolute winner. Glassy, clean, and consistent. Sunday morning is the pick, but both sessions are ace. After that, Thursday 24 July morning and Monday 27 July morning are your next best bets.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 11 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 461 | 325 | 219 | 544 | 394 | 282 | 471 | 593 | 603 | 603 | 461 | 308 | 237 | 236 | 390 | 304 | 319 | 279 | 361 | 254 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | 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 | 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 | ||||||||
 |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 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 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 32 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 27 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 10 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ENE 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 8 | S 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 461 | 325 | 123 | 544 | 394 | 270 | 471 | 593 | 603 | 603 | 461 | 308 | 237 | 143 | 390 | 304 | 53 | 124 | 361 | 254 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 196 | 159 | 125 | 127 | 157 | 282 | 244 | 260 | 478 | 160 | 27 | 40 | 209 | 179 | 102 | 83 | 90 | 94 | 43 | 30 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 15 | S 13 | SW 11 | E 10 | SSE 11 | E 10 | S 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 8 |
| kJ | — | 40 | 219 | 137 | 96 | 143 | 71 | 51 | 33 | 67 | 96 | 93 | 92 | 236 | 137 | 140 | 103 | 63 | 60 | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 9 | — | NE 3 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 547 | — | 4 | 69 | 104 | 100 | 313 | — | 3 | 319 | 279 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 186 | 0 | 16 | 186 | 0 | 16 | 154 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 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.
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