Yzerfontein Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at Yzerfontein, a beach and reef setup that’s exposed to the open ocean. Right now, the water is a chilly 54°, which is a massive 6° colder than normal – that’s way off the mark for this time of year, so you’ll be wanting a thick wetsuit.

The pattern for the next week is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some serious size coming through, but a lot of it is going to be too big for this spot, and the wind isn’t always playing nice. Things start off with a bit of a dud. Monday, August 31st through Tuesday morning, September 1st is pretty marginal – cross-shore winds and a bit of a chop on a 6ft to 8ft SW swell. The wave energy is building though, from moderate (925) to strong (2340) by Tuesday morning.

The real standout, and the best bet for the whole period, is Tuesday afternoon, September 1st. The swell is solid at 10ft from the SW with a 13-second period, packing massive energy (2961). The wind is a moderate cross-shore breeze, but the forecast says wind and tide are favorable. However, this is a big wave – only for experienced surfers. It’s going to be a powerful, clean session for the crew who can handle it, but it’s too big for beginners.

Wednesday, September 2nd keeps that same 10ft SW swell energy going, but the wind gets a bit more cross-onshore in the afternoon, making it choppy. Still, for the experienced crew, the morning window with a gentle breeze looks good.

The size really spikes on Thursday, September 3rd. A massive 18ft SW swell rolls in with a 10-second period, creating a huge 7366 units of energy. The wind is a clean cross-offshore, but that’s a monster swell. This is strictly for the elite, and even then, it’s a serious call. The afternoon sees a 31 mph near gale, so just stay out of the water.

We then see the swell size drop through Friday and into Saturday, but the wind stays clean and cross-off. By Saturday morning, September 5th, we’re down to 6ft from the SSE, and the energy is easing back to moderate (882). The wind is a gentle offshore, so the surf is clean. This is a much more manageable size for a broader range of surfers.

There’s a noticeable gap from Sunday, September 6th, through to the end of the forecast. The swell drops to 4ft and below, with a mix of clean conditions but mostly just marginal surf. The energy drops right off into the low hundreds. Monday morning, September 7th, has a nice 4ft S swell with a 12-second period and a true offshore ENE breeze, which is a classic clean setup, but it’s small. After that, it goes flat or close to it for several days, with a small glassy pulse on September 10th, but it’s only 2ft.

Looking into the second week, there’s a small increase in swell around the 12th and 13th of September, with 6ft to 8ft WSW swells, but the winds are mostly cross-shore and fresh, making it lumpy. The 14th sees a weak, short-period 7ft S swell that’s onshore, so no good. The 15th has a 5ft long-period SW swell (15 seconds) but it’s a fresh cross-onshore, lumpy mess. There’s nothing in the second week that stands out as a good option.

To wrap it up, your best bet is Tuesday afternoon, September 1st, for the big, powerful, clean SW swell. If you’re not up for that, Saturday morning, September 5th, offers a much more manageable and clean 6ft SSE swell. The rest of the time is a mix of too big, too windy, or too small.

Rusty.

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