Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, E swell with 1,889 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period. 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 5.0m 11s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. There are some solid lumps of energy showing up on the charts, especially around the middle of next week, but the wind is going to be a persistent problem. Most of the time, we're looking at cross-shore or cross-onshore breezes that will chop things up, making it hard to find anything truly clean. The standout period, if you can call it that, is a narrow window on the 15th.
The best bet, and really the only one I'd get a little excited about, is Tuesday the 15th in the morning at Whale Rock. We've got a 7ft east swell rolling in with a 10-second period, and the energy is moderate at 1071. The wind is a gentle cross-shore breeze, which is about as good as it gets in this forecast. It'll be a little lumpy with a cross-chop, but it's the cleanest we'll see. Keep in mind, this is an advanced reef break that's inconsistent, so it's not for everyone, and it can get crowded sometimes. The water is a very unusual 62°F – that's over 5°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a thick wetsuit.
The Monday morning on the 14th sees a bigger 12ft east swell, but it's accompanied by a fresh cross-onshore wind that will make it a lumpy, messy mess. That size is really only for experts anyway, and with those conditions, it's a pass. Later in the week, on the 17th (Thursday morning), there's a 6ft SSE swell with a short 7-second period and moderate rain, but it's still cross-shore and choppy. Not worth getting wet for.
The second week is pretty bleak. From the 18th right through to the 28th, it's a series of small, weak swells and onshore winds. You'll see a few pulses of energy, like a 4ft SSW groundswell on the 23rd, but the wind is strong and messy. The Monday the 28th afternoon has an 8ft SSW swell but with a fresh cross-onshore wind, making it lumpy and only for the hardcore. Honestly, for most of this period, the conditions are so poor that the setup at this exposed reef looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, to sum it up: if you're desperate, aim for Tuesday morning the 15th. It's not perfect, but it's the best we've got. The rest of the time, save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ENE on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 62mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | E 10 | SSW 11 | E 10 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 657 | 740 | 1291 | 1889 | 102 | 86 | 1020 | 40 | 561 | 278 | 194 | 355 | 336 | 372 | 686 | 283 | 237 | 164 | 163 | 149 | 94 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:57PM1.78m | 5:08AM1.61m | 5:23PM1.69m | 5:34AM1.52m | 5:48PM1.56m | 5:59AM1.41m | 6:12PM1.42m | 6:23AM1.28m | 6:36PM1.27m | 6:48AM1.13m | 7:04PM1.12m | 7:24AM0.98m | 7:58PM0.97m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:42AM-0.02m | 11:05PM0.05m | 11:09AM0.05m | 11:31PM0.13m | 11:35AM0.15m | 11:56PM0.24m | 12:00PM0.28m | 00:22AM0.37m | 12:26PM0.43m | 00:49AM0.51m | 12:53PM0.58m | 1:27AM0.65m | 1:35PM0.74m | 3:45AM0.77m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | |  |  |  | | | |  |  | | | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — |
mm | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 657 | 612 | 334 | 168 | 102 | 2500 | 1020 | 914 | 561 | 520 | 418 | 356 | 290 | 372 | 569 | 283 | 237 | 145 | 116 | 86 | 43 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | — | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 33 | 27 | 7 | 2 | — | 86 | 51 | 40 | 18 | 72 | 25 | 355 | 71 | 296 | 208 | 160 | 113 | 133 | 163 | 149 | 94 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | — | — | S 9 | — | — | — | S 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 11 | — | SW 10 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | ENE 9 | — | E 9 |
| kJ | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | 25 | 52 | 194 | — | 32 | 87 | 73 | 64 | 84 | 164 | 110 | — | 40 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 10 | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | SSW 5 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSW 8 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 422 | 740 | 1291 | 1889 | 3420 | — | — | — | — | 278 | 126 | 299 | 336 | 39 | 686 | — | — | — | — | 169 | 83 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 289 | 289 | 593 | 266 | 266 | 0 | 21 | 37 | 0 | 54 | 461 | 114 | 629 | 1027 | 1 | 238 | 643 | 70 | 203 | 203 | 238 |
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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