Yzerfontein Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking at Yzerfontein for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, with a slow start, a couple of solid windows, and then some absolute monsters that are only for the brave.

The water is currently sitting at 56°, which is a solid 4° colder than usual for this time of year. That's a notable chill, so you'll want a thick wetsuit and maybe some booties to stay out there for any length of time.

The first real action worth paddling for kicks off on Tuesday, the 28th of July. Tuesday morning sees a clean 8ft SW swell with a cross-off wind, but it's the afternoon that steps it up. That's when the wind goes offshore from the ESE, grooming a 7ft SW groundswell (14-second period). The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 2200. This is a solid intermediate session, and with the wind cleaning it up, Yzerfontein will be offering up some good, lined-up waves. Expect crowds sometimes.

Wednesday the 29th looks even better for the early birds. A gentle offshore breeze from the E is blowing over a 6ft SW swell. The energy is a bit lower (1117), but that clean, offshore surface will make for some beautiful, rippable walls. It's a classic morning session.

We get a bit of a lull towards the end of the week and into the weekend. Thursday and Friday are smaller, around 4ft to 5ft, with light winds keeping things clean, but it's nothing to write home about. The weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August is a write-off. Sunday the 2nd has a messy cross-shore wind and a weak, lumpy 3ft to 4ft swell. Don't bother.

Now, the forecast gets interesting again from Monday the 3rd of August. A pulse of 6ft WSW swell arrives, but it's plagued by a strong N cross-shore wind, making it choppy and messy. Not the best.

Then we get a huge spike. On Tuesday the 4th of August, the swell absolutely pumps up to 15ft from the WSW, with a combined energy of 4982. That's a lot of power. But the wind is a nasty cross-onshore, and the comments say it's poor surf. This is a massive, messy, dangerous ocean. Forget about a paddle board; a kite would be more fun here.

The big swell hangs around for the rest of the week. By Wednesday the 5th it's back to 8ft, but still with a cross-shore wind. The standout for the experts is the tail end of this swell. While the 6th, 7th, and 8th of August see the swell holding at a massive 12ft from the SW with very long periods (15 seconds), the conditions are a mixed bag. But check out the morning of the 8th of August: an 12ft SW groundswell, combined energy of 5454, and glassy conditions. That's a huge, powerful, clean swell. For the experienced crew only, this is going to be a serious, heavy, world-class day at Yzerfontein. The crowd will be there.

The size eases slightly through the 9th and 10th of August, still with 10ft to 8ft SW swells. The morning of the 10th of August is a good one, with a 10ft SW swell and clean offshore winds. The energy is strong (2961). This is another excellent, heavy day for the experienced surfer.

The period winds down on the 11th of August with a more manageable 8ft to 7ft swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-off, keeping things clean enough for a late-season paddle.

So, to boil it down: for the everyday surfer, the best bet is the window from Tuesday the 28th to Wednesday the 29th of July. For the experienced crew looking for a real challenge, the glassy morning of Saturday the 8th of August is the one to circle on the calendar. Stay warm, and I'll see you out there.

Rusty.

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