Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 19 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
21.5° C
1.1° 

Whale Rock surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Whale Rock surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 15s period, SSW swell with 2,348 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 15s period. 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 2.2m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Thu 20th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 15s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 20th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 15s
Most Powerful 8PM (Thu 20th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whale Rock over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a long look ahead at our local spot, Whale Rock, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The pickings are slim for a while, but there are a couple of windows that will get the blood pumping.

Right now, we’re looking at a slow start. The first couple of days are honestly not worth paddling out for. The swell is messy, and the winds are all over the shop. Thursday the 20th has a bit of 6ft swell, but it’s short-period, wind-affected junk that’s more frustration than fun. We’ve got a bit of a gap here with no real quality on offer through to the weekend.

The weekend itself is a write-off. Saturday the 22nd gets absolutely thumped by a strong cross-shore near-gale, blowing 31 mph into a lumpy 12ft mess. That’s not for paddling; that’s for the kite crew if anything. Sunday follows with a big but unruly 8ft swell under a cross breeze—still too raw to get excited about.

Keep your eyes on Monday morning the 24th. That’s our first proper highlight. We’ve got clean 4ft swell rolling in from the south under glassy, dead-calm conditions. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so it won’t feel out of the ordinary. The energy is moderate (607), and for a reef break like Whale Rock, those clean conditions will make every wave count. If you can sneak off for a Monday session, that’s the one to chase.

Then, Tuesday morning the 25th serves up what looks like the standout of this whole forecast. The swell pushes up to a solid 5ft from the SSW, but the wind is a clean offshore breeze (cross-off) from the southwest. The period stretches out to a long 15 seconds, meaning that groundswell energy is packing a punch with 1093 units of energy. This is proper, powerful surf for experienced surfers. Expect long, lined-up waves at Whale Rock, but the crowd might be an issue, as it’s a spot that can get busy when the surf’s this good. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

After that, things get messy again. The rest of that week and into September is mostly a write-off with strong onshore winds, lumpy conditions, and poor surf quality. We do get a brief glimmer on Sunday afternoon the 30th—another glassy session with 5ft of clean south swell (693 energy). It’s a very late call, but keep it in the back of your mind if you’re desperate for a wave when the wind dies off.

That’s the long story, short. A couple of gems buried in a lot of rubbish. Stay patient, be ready for that Monday morning glass and that Tuesday offshore session.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, near gales from the SSW by Sat afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Sat night, calm by Sun night).

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
3
4
2
0
1
0
0
2
3
1
3
3
2
2
4
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SSW
13
1.9
SSW
7
1.4
SSW
16
1.9
SSW
14
1.4
SSW
13
1.2
SSW
12
1
SSW
12
1.1
SSW
14
3.5
SSW
8
2.3
SSW
10
2.5
SSW
10
1.5
S
10
1.4
SSW
11
1.2
S
14
1.1
S
14
1.1
SSW
16
1.6
SSW
15
1.8
SSW
17
1.5
SSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
313
379
991
1433
633
439
313
500
1503
970
1341
468
522
593
508
644
1088
1885
1082
Wind (km/h)
35
SW
15
SW
10
SSE
5
WNW
5
SE
15
ENE
15
NNE
30
SSW
50
SSW
25
WSW
15
SSW
10
SSE
5
NNW
5
SSE
10
SSW
15
SW
15
SW
10
S
10
NNE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
High Tide
7:37AM1.10m
8:07PM1.12m
8:30AM0.96m
9:52PM0.99m
12:26PM0.93m
00:56AM1.04m
1:47PM1.06m
1:52AM1.18m
2:23PM1.22m
2:26AM1.31m
2:51PM1.36m
2:55AM1.43m
Low Tide
1:42AM0.55m
1:43PM0.58m
2:33AM0.68m
2:43PM0.72m
5:18AM0.75m
6:19PM0.76m
7:33AM0.63m
7:45PM0.63m
8:11AM0.49m
8:22PM0.50m
8:39AM0.35m
8:51PM0.37m
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:33
6:31
6:31
6:30
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:39
5:39
5:40
5:42
 mm
Temp °C
21
18
18
17
17
18
18
21
22
18
19
19
17
20
20
18
19
20
18
Feels °C
20
15
15
17
17
18
17
16
14
11
16
17
17
19
19
17
17
19
19
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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