Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
21.6° C
1.2° 

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 21 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, S swell with 1,714 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 13s 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 1.8m 16s 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 2.5m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Fri 21st Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 13s
Best Surf 5AM (Fri 21st Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 13s
Most Powerful 8PM (Wed 26th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Whale Rock. It’s a tricky reef setup for advanced crew only, and it’s inconsistent, so you gotta pick your moments. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.

The first good window kicks off Friday morning, August 21st. We’ve got some clouds, a light onshore breeze from the SSE, and a clean 5ft swell from the SSW at 13 seconds. Combined energy is moderate (653). It’s small, but that long period groundswell will give it shape. The cross-on wind is a bit of a buzzkill, but it’s light, so worth a paddle if you’re keen.

The pattern dips after that, with a blustery Saturday afternoon—10ft of SSW swell but with a short 8-second period, and a near gale cross-off wind. That’s messy and only for the hardcore. Sunday morning offers 8ft at 10 seconds, but with a moderate cross-shore chop. Still, it’s a step up in size.

The standout moment comes Monday morning, August 24th. Glassy conditions, light air, and 3ft of SSW swell with a 14-second period. Combined energy is moderate (400). It’s small, but that glassy surface and long period are a dream for a reef break. The crowd could be on it, though, so get there early.

Tuesday, August 25th, has a 5ft SSW swell at 16 seconds—very long period—and a light cross-on from the SSE. Combined energy is moderate (919). The period is so long it might make the reef line up beautifully, but it could also be a bit straight. Worth a look.

From Wednesday morning, August 26th, the wind builds from the NE, and the swell switches to S direction. The quality drops off fast with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy seas. By Thursday and Friday, it’s poor—strong winds, messy waves. The combo of squally conditions and short-period swell (8 seconds) on the 31st of August and 1st of September is not for paddling. This stretch looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

We get a glimmer early on Thursday, September 3rd, with a 4ft SW swell at 13 seconds and a clean cross-off breeze from the SW. Combined energy is moderate (707). It’s clean, but the wind is strong, making it a marginal call.

The real highlight, though, is Friday morning, September 4th. A solid 10ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, with a light cross-on from the SE. Combined energy is strong (5301). That’s a big, long-period groundswell with a light breeze. It’s over 8ft, so only for experts, and the reef might handle that long period better than a beach break. The crowd could be there, but this is the best on offer in the whole 16-day run. The afternoon drops off with a shorter period, so hit the morning session.

After that, Saturday the 5th is a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions.

There’s a long gap of poor surf from the 26th of August through to the 2nd of September, with only a few marginal windows. The forecast can change, but right now, that 4th of September is the one to circle.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, near gales from the SSW by Sat afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
2
1
0
1
0
2
2
2
2
2
0
2
2
2
3
2
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
SSW
14
1.4
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
12
1
SSW
12
1
SSW
14
3
SSW
8
2.3
SSW
10
2.5
SSW
10
1.6
SSW
10
1.1
SSW
11
0.9
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
14
0.5
SSW
15
1.4
SSW
16
1.5
SSW
15
1.1
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
16
1.7
S
17
1.7
S
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1433
633
459
313
419
1214
1032
1479
501
291
330
121
133
914
970
361
803
1649
1440
Wind (km/h)
5
WNW
10
SSE
10
E
20
NNE
15
SSW
50
SSW
30
SW
20
SSW
5
SSE
10
N
5
SSE
15
SSW
15
WSW
10
SSE
10
ESE
5
W
10
ESE
20
ENE
25
NE
Wind State
off
cross-on
on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
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
3:17PM1.50m
3:22AM1.54m
Low Tide
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
9:05AM0.22m
9:19PM0.25m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:31
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:38
5:39
5:39
5:40
5:42
5:42
 mm
Temp °C
18
18
18
18
23
21
19
18
19
17
19
20
18
17
18
17
18
19
19
Feels °C
19
18
18
18
21
13
11
15
16
17
18
18
16
16
17
18
18
18
16
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Whale Rock:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Whale Rock surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest