Surf Forecasts:
Whale Rock surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 4,084 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whale Rock in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 10s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Whale Rock.
Looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a rough start with a whole lot of nothing. We have a quiet spell that runs from now all the way through the first week of September. The real action doesn’t even begin to hint at itself until we get into the second week. It’s a long, flat, blown-out wait, so don’t hold your breath for anything rideable in the immediate future.
Right now, on Monday the 24th of August, we’ve got a tiny 1 ft SSW swell at Whale Rock. The combined energy is weak (159). The saving grace is a glassy, 5 km/h ESE wind that will keep the surface clean, and the water’s a comfortable 70° – that’s about 2° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s nice. But honestly, that swell is so small it’s barely worth getting wet for. It’s just surfable.
We then slide into a patch of ugly. From Tuesday the 25th right through until the end of August, the wind is a mess. Swell pops up a bit – we see 5 ft to 6 ft SSW groundswells with periods up to 17 seconds, and the energy gets strong (1441, 1955) – but the wind is cruel. It’s cross-shore, then onshore, and then howling out of the NE. By the 27th, we’re looking at near-gale force 31 mph winds smashing the place up. It’s junk. For an exposed reef like Whale Rock, forget it. You’d be better off with a kite than a paddleboard.
The first few days of September are still looking poor and marginal. A tiny 1 ft on the 1st, then a bit of a pulse on the 2nd (4 ft to 4 ft SSW at 14-15 seconds) but it’s a cross-on mess. Wednesday the 3rd brings strong winds again, though interestingly it’s a cross-offshore wind (SW 25 mph) so it might look clean, but that’s a lot of wind to deal with for the small 3 ft lump.
Now, here is the standout. Our only real chance to get excited is early September. Mark your calendar for Saturday the 5th of September. The morning is looking special. We’ve got a solid 13 ft swell hitting, but here’s the catch – it’s coming from the East with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is very strong (3937). The wind is a glassy 3 mph cross-offshore out of the SW. That’s the cleanest wind window of the whole run. This is an expert-only wave at 13 ft, it’s going to be big and powerful. The forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That is the call. Sunday the 6th is also worth a look: a dropping 7 ft to 6 ft E swell with glassy or light offshore winds in the morning and afternoon. That’s still a solid wave and much more manageable for strong intermediates. Just know that Whale Rock is an inconsistent spot, so when it fires, you want to be there.
Past that, the second week looks promising but less certain with strong onshores returning.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, strong winds from the NE by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri night, min 17°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the ENE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | S 17 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 14 | S 11 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
78 | 534 | 949 | 1427 | 1041 | 1949 | 3762 | 2070 | 1121 | 575 | 504 | 350 | 278 | 329 | 166 | 139 | 43 | 24 | 155 | 206 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:23PM1.22m | 2:26AM1.31m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:22PM0.50m | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 23 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | S 17 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 10 | S 11 | S 12 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
52 | 534 | 949 | 1427 | 1041 | 1949 | 3762 | 2070 | 1121 | 575 | 504 | 350 | 278 | 1393 | 166 | 139 | 1658 | 1039 | 858 | 510 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | E 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | SSW 13 | — | — | SSE 15 | S 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SW 14 |
29 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | 120 | — | — | 74 | 329 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 24 | 11 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSE 12 | E 9 | SE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | S 17 | — | — | — | S 11 | — | — | — | SW 13 | — | — |
78 | 13 | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | — | — | — | 57 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 3 | — | — | ESE 4 | E 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 |
— | — | — | 3 | — | — | 15 | 129 | 567 | 1249 | 1406 | 1012 | 1574 | 2489 | 1532 | 2297 | 2770 | 39 | 155 | 206 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 238 | 205 | 589 | 589 | 221 | 118 | 418 | 133 | 221 | 412 | 113 | 43 | 133 | 154 |
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.











