Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 12s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 12s period, S swell with 11,656 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s 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 (Aug 30) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. 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 6.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 10s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 21ft (6.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 21ft (6.5m) 12s |
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 cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.
It’s a pretty quiet start to the period, I’m not gonna lie. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first few days are a write-off, with Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st offering nothing but frustration. The wind is howling and the swell is messy. We’re looking at a gap of a few days with no real surf on offer.
The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September. The swell is picking up to 5 ft from the SSW, with a very long period of 15 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (917), and the wind is a light cross-shore. The water temp is 69°, which is dead average for this time of year. This is an advanced, inconsistent reef break, so don’t expect a party. It’s a spot that’s rarely breaking, so when it turns on, you pay attention. The long period will mean nice, powerful waves, but it might be a bit straight for some, so be ready for a proper paddle. The afternoon gets a bit lumpier with the wind turning onshore, but the morning is the pick of the day.
The real standout, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Friday morning, the 4th of September. Now, this is a long way out, so treat it as a promising one, but the numbers are huge. The swell is a massive 15 ft from the S, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is a whopping 4148 (strong). The wind is a cross-offshore, so it should be clean. That’s a serious, heavy, expert-only wave. Anything over 8 ft is for the experienced crew, and this is well past that. This is a reef break, so it’s going to be a proper, powerful, grinding wave. The crowds are possible, but with that size, it’ll sort the men from the boys. The afternoon gets blown out and messy, so get it in the morning.
The swell drops a bit for Saturday the 5th, but it’s still solid at 13 ft from the SSE, with moderate energy (3536), but the wind is a cross-shore, making it a bit lumpy. Still, for the experienced surfer, there’s plenty of power.
From the 7th onward, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of poor conditions and small, weak swells. There’s a bit of a bump on the 13th and 14th, but the wind is howling onshore or cross-onshore, turning it into a messy, blown-out mess. Those days look more interesting for the kite surfers, honestly, with strong winds and a big, lumpy ocean.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 28°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | S 6 | S 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 95 | 78 | 180 | 217 | 212 | 28 | 19 | 120 | 325 | 917 | 1182 | 487 | 513 | 329 | 761 | 4148 | 11656 | 7271 | 3429 | 2352 | 1112 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | on | glassy | cross-off | cross | on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | off |
High Tide | 5:02PM1.78m | 5:12AM1.64m | 5:31PM1.75m | 5:42AM1.57m | 6:02PM1.67m | 6:14AM1.47m | 6:36PM1.54m | 6:50AM1.33m | 7:17PM1.38m | 7:37AM1.16m | 8:19PM1.19m | 9:14AM1.01m | 10:43PM1.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:48AM-0.03m | 11:10PM0.05m | 11:15AM0.00m | 11:41PM0.09m | 11:45AM0.07m | 00:13AM0.18m | 12:18PM0.18m | 00:49AM0.31m | 12:55PM0.33m | 1:36AM0.46m | 1:46PM0.51m | 2:53AM0.62m | 3:33PM0.67m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | |  |  |  | |  | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — |
mm | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 27 | 28 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | S 14 | E 11 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 271 | 334 | 288 | 217 | 212 | 157 | 248 | 162 | 325 | 917 | 1182 | 487 | 213 | 232 | 331 | 76 | 54 | 23 | 107 | 9 | 1112 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 12 | — | — | ENE 10 | — | — | ENE 11 | NE 8 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 40 | 22 | 180 | 80 | 51 | 28 | 15 | 120 | 94 | 77 | 78 | 56 | 513 | — | — | 35 | — | — | 25 | 3 | 88 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | SE 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 |
| kJ | 18 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | S 6 | — | — | — | E 4 | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | — |
| kJ | 95 | 78 | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 17 | 121 | 329 | 761 | 4148 | 11656 | 7271 | 3429 | 2352 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 462 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 238 | 221 | 37 | 594 | 1 | 1 | 238 | 203 | 476 | 6 | 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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