Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 09 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
21.8° C
1.0° 

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 9 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with 3,154 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s 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 (Jul 10) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 14s 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Fri 10th Jul)8ft (2.4m) 14s
Best Surf 5AM (Fri 10th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 15s
Most Powerful 8AM (Fri 10th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 14s

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


Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what the ocean’s got cookin’ for us, starting now.

We’ve got a wild ride ahead over the next couple of weeks, but the opening days are a mixed bag. The standout window, without a doubt, is early next week – we’re talkin’ Sunday the 12th. That morning, Whale Rock is lookin’ absolutely perfect. We’ve got a clean 4ft SSW groundswell with a 12-second period, glassy conditions thanks to a light NE breeze, and that combined energy is sitting at a solid 602. It’s a reef break, so it should handle that long period energy real well, and those long gaps between sets will make paddling out a breeze. Water temp's sitting at 71°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than average for this time of year – feels nice.

Now, the rest of the first week has some swell but the wind just won’t play nice. Thursday the 9th through Saturday the 11th, we’re looking at 7ft to 8ft SSW swells, but with cross and cross-off winds and a lot of chop. The wave energy is there – that combined energy peaks at 2822 on Friday morning – but the quality is marginal at best. That 8ft Friday morning might be pushing it for beginners anyway.

Sunday afternoon things fall apart with a strong cross-on breeze, and Monday the 13th is just plain nasty with 19 mph cross-on winds and a short, weak 6ft E swell only packing 7 seconds. Keep the board in the car for that one. Tuesday the 14th isn’t much better.

Here’s the thing though – after that rough spell, Wednesday morning the 15th suddenly cleans up. A clean 6ft E swell with a 10-second period and a light SW cross-off breeze will make for some nice, clean faces at Whale Rock. It’s not the biggest, but after a few days of junk, it’ll feel like a blessing. Combined energy’s at 678.

After that, things get a bit wonky again. A big lumpy SSW swell arrives Monday the 21st – 7ft with a super long 18-second period from the SSW, and the combined energy is massive at 2801. That is a lot of power, but it’s a beach-breaking kind of period for a reef. With a cross-on wind, it’ll be a messy, experts-only affair if you’re brave enough. The rest of that third week goes downhill fast with strong onshore winds and dropping swell. By Thursday the 24th, we’re down to a tiny 1ft swell with 17-second period – barely a ripple.

So to wrap it up, the absolute pick is Sunday morning the 12th – glassy, clean, and fun. If you miss that, Wednesday morning the 15th is your next best bet for clean waves. The rest of the run is either too windy, too messy, or too small.

Stay wet, stay frothy... Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu afternoon, calm by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, fresh winds from the ENE by Mon afternoon).

Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
4
3
2
4
3
3
1
3
0
2
0
0
2
1
0
3
3
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)
2
SSW
13
2.1
SSW
13
2.4
SSW
14
2.5
SSW
14
2.5
SSW
14
2.2
SSW
13
1.9
SSW
13
2
S
13
1.8
S
12
1.3
SSW
12
1.2
SSW
12
1.6
ESE
7
1.8
E
7
1.6
E
7
1.5
E
8
1.3
ESE
8
1.7
ESE
9
1.7
E
9
1.8
E
10
1.7
E
10
1.6
E
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1356
1408
2284
2815
2468
1592
1211
1379
973
444
361
269
312
279
255
241
463
508
637
586
535
Wind (km/h)
25
SW
20
SSW
10
WSW
15
SSW
20
SSW
10
SW
5
S
5
ESE
15
SE
5
NE
25
ENE
15
NNE
20
NE
30
ENE
10
NNW
5
ENE
20
ENE
10
NW
5
SW
10
SSE
10
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
on
on
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
10:24AM1.11m
11:11PM1.32m
12:00PM1.13m
00:35AM1.36m
1:20PM1.23m
1:45AM1.45m
2:22PM1.36m
2:41AM1.54m
3:13PM1.49m
3:30AM1.62m
3:59PM1.61m
4:14AM1.65m
4:42PM1.68m
4:55AM1.65m
Low Tide
4:26PM0.50m
5:48AM0.49m
5:57PM0.49m
7:07AM0.40m
7:18PM0.40m
8:09AM0.29m
8:22PM0.30m
9:00AM0.17m
9:16PM0.19m
9:45AM0.08m
10:04PM0.13m
10:26AM0.02m
10:48PM0.10m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
thunderstorm
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
cloud
cloud
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:03
7:03
7:01
7:01
7:01
7:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:13
5:13
5:14
5:14
5:15
5:15
5:15
 mm
1
2
2
9
2
5
5
1
Temp °C
20
19
18
18
18
17
17
17
17
16
17
17
18
19
18
18
20
18
21
21
18
Feels °C
16
16
15
16
15
14
17
16
17
16
14
14
16
16
15
17
18
17
18
18
17
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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