Yzerfontein Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for our local stretch.

The forecast is showing a real mixed bag of good and dodgy over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got some solid swells coming through, but wind and size are going to be the main players. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing freaky there.

Let’s kick off with Yzerfontein. We’ve got a nice run of surf starting this Friday morning, July 17th. It’s a bit cloudy with a light cross-off breeze from the SSE at 6 mph, and a clean 6 ft swell from the SW. The period is 11 seconds, giving us a moderate wave energy (787). It’s a good start, but the real standout is Saturday morning, July 18th. Glassy conditions with zero wind, and a 5 ft SW swell. The period drops a touch to 10 seconds, but the energy is still solid (558). It’s a beach and reef setup, so with that SW swell, it’ll be lining up nicely. The crowds are *sometimes* an issue, so you might have a few mates out, but nothing crazy.

Sunday morning, July 19th, is another ripper. Clear skies, a slight air from the north at 3 mph, and glassy conditions. The swell is 4 ft from the SW with a 12-second period (725 energy). That’s a longer period groundswell, which will favour the reef sections here, giving them some real shape. It’s a beauty.

Monday morning, July 20th, is clean again with a light cross-off breeze from the SE at 3 mph. The swell drops to 3 ft from the SW, but the energy is still there (520). Tuesday morning, July 21st, is a heads-up. Glassy conditions with an ENE breeze at 3 mph, and the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SW, but the period jumps to 14 seconds (863 energy). That’s a long-period groundswell, so it’ll be powerful and lined up, especially on the reef. This is probably the best on offer for the near-term.

Now, things get a bit wild. By Tuesday afternoon, that same swell builds to 8 ft, and the wind swings onshore from the west. That’s getting big. For the rest of the week, from Wednesday July 22nd through to Saturday July 26th, the swell is consistently over 8 ft, hitting 12 ft to 13 ft at times. The wind is often cross-on or strong onshore, making it messy and lumpy. The wave energy is through the roof (up to 6560), but for a beach and reef setup with those conditions, it’s really only for the experts who are locked in. For the average punter, it’s a bit of a write-off, and honestly, this setup starts looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

We get a nice reprieve on Monday morning, July 27th. The swell drops to 6 ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the wind is offshore from the east at 6 mph. That’s clean and powerful. The energy is strong (1362), and it’s a good option for experienced surfers.

Then look ahead to Saturday morning, August 1st. This is a promising long-range standout. The swell is 6 ft from the WSW with a *very* long period of 19 seconds. The wind is light from the ESE at 3 mph, making it cross-off and clean. The energy is massive (3293). This is a proper groundswell, and at Yzerfontein, that long period will be best on the reef and point sections. It’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it, but it has the potential to be the best of the whole run.

So, to wrap it up: the best windows are the glassy mornings of July 18th and 19th, and the clean Tuesday morning of July 21st. The long-range standout for the brave is that Saturday, August 1st. The middle of the run is big and messy, so pick your sessions wisely.

Rusty.

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