
Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SSW swell with 673 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s 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 13) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 8s. 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 1.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 9s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board and let’s have a look at what’s coming our way. It’s a bit of a slow start, to be honest. The next few days are pretty much a write-off for anything decent here at Whale Rock, with no real surf to speak of. But hold on, because the back half of the forecast is where the talk gets interesting.
Right now, Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th are just a total bust. We’re looking at small, weak swell from the SSE with a period of 11 seconds, but the wind is a stubborn cross-onshore, blowing at 15 to 19 mph. The water is sitting at 68°, which is pretty average for this time of year. The combined energy is weak (349 for Tuesday morning), and it’s just choppy and lumpy. Nothing to get excited about.
Thursday and Friday the 10th and 11th are a mixed bag of small, jumbled swell and cross-shore winds. There’s a brief pulse of longer-period swell from the SSW on Friday morning (14 seconds, 173 energy), but it’s still cross-shore and messy. Not worth paddling out for.
The weekend of the 12th and 13th is a bit of a tease. Saturday remains poor with a short 8-second swell and onshore wind. But Sunday the 13th, we’ve got a proper pulse of groundswell from the SSW. The period is 16 seconds, and the swell sits at 4ft. The combined energy jumps to 891, so there’s some real power in the water. The morning is still cross-on, but the afternoon goes cross-off with a gentle breeze, making it clean. This is a reef break, and with that long period, it’s going to be lining up nicely, but it’s also an advanced wave. It’s inconsistent and sometimes crowded, so you’ll have to be patient and pick your moment. This is the first real standout of the window.
The middle of the next week, the 15th of September, is a gem. Tuesday afternoon sees the swell from the East at 6ft with a period of 9 seconds. The wind goes glassy, and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” The combined energy sits at 483. For a reef break, the east direction isn’t its optimum, but the glassy conditions will make it clean and fun. The swell is a bit sizeable for beginners but manageable for most.
Now, looking further out, the 21st of September is a big one. Monday morning holds a solid 10ft swell from the SSW, with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 4680, which is very strong. The wind is cross-off, so the waves will be clean. This is a serious, expert-only swell. The size is well over 8ft, so don’t even think about it if you’re not comfortable in big surf. It’s also inconsistent, so the sets will be bigger and further apart. This is the other standout, but it’s over a week away and a bit of a long-range promise, so don’t book your flights yet.
The days after that drop off in quality, with the wind turning onshore again and the swell size dropping. The 23rd of September has some decent energy (789) and a 14-second period from the SSW, but the cross-onshore wind will mess it up.
So, overall, it’s a slow start, but we’ve got two proper windows to aim for: Sunday the 13th afternoon for a clean, long-period groundswell, and Tuesday the 15th afternoon for glassy, fun waves. The 21st of September is the big one for the experts, but it’s a long way out. Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Tue afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 18°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 5 | SSW 17 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
194 | 150 | 57 | 64 | 33 | 41 | 20 | 36 | 249 | 140 | 89 | 58 | 60 | 45 | 333 | 597 | 532 | 325 | 154 | 95 | 55 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:19PM1.46m | 2:33AM1.49m | 2:56PM1.63m | 3:09AM1.60m | 3:29PM1.76m | 3:41AM1.67m | 4:00PM1.82m | 4:12AM1.69m | 4:29PM1.83m | 4:40AM1.67m | 4:57PM1.78m | 5:08AM1.61m | 5:23PM1.69m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:14AM-0.05m | 10:38PM0.01m | 10:42AM-0.02m | 11:05PM0.05m | 11:09AM0.05m | 11:31PM0.13m | |||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 20 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 |
Feels °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | ENE 10 |
194 | 150 | 554 | 64 | 33 | 576 | 456 | 406 | 254 | 169 | 135 | 156 | 60 | 45 | 333 | 263 | 257 | 252 | 154 | 95 | 1043 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | SSW 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 14 | S 5 | S 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SE 7 | — | SSW 12 |
149 | 58 | 57 | 12 | 15 | 41 | 20 | 14 | 249 | 140 | 27 | 42 | 52 | 40 | 164 | 597 | 532 | 325 | 48 | — | 55 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | — | SSE 12 | SE 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 15 | SSE 10 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SE 13 | SSW 16 | S 19 | S 10 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — |
6 | — | 50 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 89 | 58 | 7 | 24 | 190 | 31 | 12 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 3 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | S 5 | — | NE 3 | ENE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 4 |
268 | 477 | 956 | 471 | 642 | 869 | 3 | 36 | 71 | 28 | — | 6 | 344 | 280 | 419 | — | — | — | 240 | 1152 | 20 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 186 | 412 | 70 | 186 | 412 | 73 | 47 | 401 | 39 | 114 | 1 | 238 | 289 | 629 | 261 | 114 | 6 | 1 | 289 | 402 | 1 |
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.










