Yzerfontein Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Bit of a mixed bag on the cards for Yzerfontein over the next couple of weeks. We kick off with a solid pulse of swell, but the wind and size are going to dictate where you can actually get a decent wave. Keep an eye on the calendar because the standout sessions are a bit spaced out, and there’s a blank stretch you’ll want to avoid.

The first real opportunity hits on Wednesday, August 26th with a clean morning session. Yzerfontein is picking up a 5-foot swell from the WSW, with a 13-second period that’ll give the waves some push. The wind is light offshore from the east, 6 mph, and that will keep the surface glassy. The combined swell energy is sitting at 1025, which is moderate energy. Conditions are excellent for experienced surfers, but if you’re a beginner, that 5-foot could be pushing your limits. Crowds are sometimes a factor here, so you might have a few mates out.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are nothing to get excited about. Onshore and cross-shore winds mess up the surface, and the swell drops off. Friday morning, August 28th, does see a tiny 3-foot glassy window with a very long 16-second period from the WSW, and 655 combined energy. It’ll be clean, but that long-period swell will likely break too straight on the beach, and it’s a long wait between sets. Not a standout.

The weekend gets messy again, with onshore winds and bumpy conditions. Swell size climbs to 6 feet on Saturday and 8 feet on Sunday, but the cross-shore winds ruin the shape. Not worth paddling out for a decent wave.

The real standout of the entire forecast comes on September 1st, which is a Tuesday. That morning, the swell pumps up to 10 feet from the SW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a very strong 3009. This is big, powerful surf. However, the wind is a cross-onshore breeze from the NNW at 12 mph, which will chop things up. And frankly, at this size, it’s too big for the break — this is expert-only territory, and even then, you’d want to be very comfortable. By the afternoon it’s even bigger at 12 feet, with a 9 mph onshore wind. This is definitely more of a spectacle than a surf session for most.

After that big pulse, we get a clean-up. Saturday, September 6th, is a write-off, and Sunday the 7th is a full-blow blank day — strong winds of 25-28 mph from the SSE will make it unsurfable.

The next real highlight is on Wednesday, September 4th. A sunny morning with a glassy 6-foot swell from the WSW, 12-second period, and 2023 combined energy. Wind is a light 3 mph offshore from the ESE, making for perfect, clean conditions. Excellent surf for experienced surfers again. This is your second-best option, and it looks promising.

After that, the swell backs off. Thursday, September 9th, has a clean 3-foot morning with a light 3 mph east wind, but it’s weak. The final days fizzle out with poor, choppy conditions. Thursday, September 10th, sees a 2-foot swell with a strong NW wind and combined energy of only 370 — don’t bother.

So, to sum it up: your best bet is Wednesday, September 4th for a clean, glassy session on that 6-foot WSW swell. The big stuff on September 1st is for experts only, if anyone. There’s a proper gap of poor surf from around August 29th right through to September 2nd, give or take. Keep your expectations realistic for the second week.

Rusty.

Read more