Yzerfontein Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into this one. It’s a bit of a slow burn for Yzerfontein at first, but once it gets going, there are some real gems for the experienced crew. The water is running way colder than what we’re used to for this time of year, so pull on the thickest wetsuit you’ve got.

The first few days are a write-off. The Saturday morning (5th September) has a little 5ft swell, but it’s messy and the energy is weak (484). The wind is cross-off, but the conditions are just marginal. Nothing to get excited about.

Then, Sunday morning (6th September) is where it starts to get interesting. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the SW, and the period is a massive 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, full of energy (2687). The wind is offshore from the ESE, gentle breeze, so it’s going to be clean. This is a standout for the experienced surfer. The break is a mix of beach and reef, so that long period could make the beach sections a bit straight, but the reef at Yzerfontein will handle it beautifully. The water is still much colder than normal, but the quality of the surf makes up for it.

Monday morning (7th September) is another absolute cracker. The swell drops a touch to 6ft, still from the SW, but the period is a long 14 seconds. The energy is still strong (1431). The wind is glassy – completely glassy – from the W at just 3 mph. That’s about as good as it gets for clean, smooth faces. Again, this is for the experienced crew, as the size is getting up there, but the conditions will be world-class.

After that, the surf drops off quickly. Tuesday through Wednesday (8th-9th September) is small and choppy, with the wind turning onshore. Not worth paddling out.

We get a big pulse of swell rolling in from the 10th of September, but it comes with strong wind. Thursday morning (10th) has a 8ft swell from the WSW with a 15-second period and massive energy (2726), but the wind is cross-shore. By Friday (11th), the swell is 8ft to 10ft, but the wind is screaming at 25 mph from the SSE. The swell is just too big and the wind is strong, making it more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

The true standout for the second week is Saturday morning, the 12th of September. The wind swings back offshore from the ESE, gentle breeze, and we get a 6ft SW swell with a 16-second period. The energy is pumped up to 2049. It’s clean, it’s powerful, and it’s for the guys who know what they’re doing. This is your best bet for the second week.

The week after that gets very big again. From the 15th to the 18th of September, the swell is pushing 10ft to 12ft, with periods around 12-16 seconds. The energy readings are off the charts (over 6000 on the 17th). The problem is, the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell is simply too big for this break. The forecast says it’s too big for the spot, so unless you’re a tow-in expert, give it a miss.

By the 20th of September, it all fades away into small, windy junk. A couple of decent mornings, but the poor run through the rest of the month is more normal for the area.

So, if you’ve got the skills, the best on offer is Sunday morning (6th September) for the biggest, cleanest groundswell, and Monday morning (7th September) for the glassy perfection. Don’t sleep on that Saturday morning (12th September) either – it’s a solid backup.

Rusty.

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