Whale Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 31.94° S 29.22° E

Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 12 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whale Rock sea temperature is
16.9°C
3.6° 

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 12 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, E swell with 1,879 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (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 8PM. 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 3.0m 10s 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 4.5m 10s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Mon 14th Sep)1.5ft (0.5m) 13s
Best Surf 8AM (Tue 15th Sep)8ft (2.4m) 10s
Most Powerful11AM (Mon 14th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a long, hard look at what Whale Rock has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you from the get-go – this stretch is gonna test your patience.

The overall pattern is dominated by persistent, messy wind. A lot of the time, it’s coming from the east or northeast, which is cross-onshore for this spot, chopping up the line-up and making things feel like a battle. For a reef break that demands respect, that’s a tough hand to be dealt. The water's also sitting at a very unusual 62° – that's nearly 7° colder than normal for this time of year up at Whale Rock, so you'll want a good, thick wetsuit. Don't leave your hood at home.

For the first many days, it's honestly a write-off. From the 12th right through the 19th of September, the winds are just nasty. We see a lot of "poor surf conditions" in the cards. Even when there’s size, like a 10ft swell on Monday the 14th with a combined energy reading over 2000, it's accompanied by a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore. That’s lumpy, messy, and frankly, dangerous. For a few days around the 15th and 16th, the swell drops off to under 3ft with weak energy, so there’s nothing doing. It starts to get some push again around the 17th, but again, the wind angles are all wrong.

We do have one brief window, and it’s the only thing on this forecast that gets me talking. Look towards Tuesday the 22nd of September. That afternoon session sees a clean 8ft swell from the east (energy is a solid 1476), but more importantly, the wind is forecast to swing light and offshore from the southeast at just 9 mph. For Whale Rock, an east swell is okay, not perfect, but that offshore wind will clean everything right up. The period is a decent 11 seconds, hinting at some good groundswell lines. This would be the standout for the whole 16-day run – it's the only time the wind plays ball with any real size.

But don't get too excited. The morning of the 23rd is back to a fresh 19 mph cross-on from the northeast, ruining it. Then, on the 25th of September, we see another possible window. Friday afternoon shows a 6ft east swell (809 energy) with a moderate cross-offshore breeze from the southwest. That’s a better angle than most and could offer some clean-ish, lined-up walls. After that, the wind swings back on for the weekend.

To be brutally honest, this is a lean patch for Whale Rock. The one truly promising moment is on the afternoon of Tuesday the 22nd, and maybe the afternoon of the 25th for a backup surf. For everything else, you’d be fighting the wind more than the wave. It’s an exposed spot, and right now, it's feeling the full force of the breeze.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Sat morning). Mainly strong winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the S by Wed night).

Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
3
0
0
0
2
2
2
0
0
0
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
SSE
8
1.3
E
9
0.6
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
17
2.3
ESE
8
3
E
9
3
E
10
0.5
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
12
2.2
E
10
2
E
10
1.7
E
10
0.7
SW
12
0.6
SW
12
0.7
SSW
15
2.3
SSW
9
3
S
10
3
S
10
2.3
SSE
9
2.2
SSE
9
1.7
SSE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
99
269
164
657
639
1138
1879
102
86
1006
818
563
154
108
188
832
1717
1790
738
673
392
Wind (km/h)
25
E
25
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
35
ENE
35
NE
45
NE
15
NE
15
S
10
E
10
N
10
S
20
SSW
25
WSW
25
S
20
S
20
SE
25
SSE
25
SE
25
SE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
High Tide
4:29PM1.83m
4:40AM1.67m
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
Low Tide
10:14AM-0.05m
10:38PM0.01m
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
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
light rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:05
6:05
6:03
6:01
6:01
6:00
5:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:53
5:54
5:54
5:55
 mm
2
1
3
2
2
5
3
16
21
23
26
Temp °C
21
21
20
21
22
21
22
23
23
22
21
20
21
21
19
17
17
17
16
15
17
Feels °C
19
19
17
18
20
19
19
18
24
20
20
20
21
20
16
12
14
14
12
10
11
  • 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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