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Coffee Bay Surf Report

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SURF RATING
POOR
★★☆☆☆
Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.
WAVE
1.6 m
SWELL
1.3m @ 7s
WIND
12 km/h Onshore
WATER
21.6°C

★★☆☆☆

Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.

Swell: 1.3 m @ 7 s (S)

Wave height: 1.6 m

Wind: 12 km/h SSE Onshore

Sea temp: 21.6 °C · Wetsuit: Shorty / springsuit

Best window today: 09:00–11:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
14% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 Wave type
Beach & point
🧭 Best swell
ESE groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
WNW offshore
🏄 Board
Shortboard
📈 Skill
Intermediate–advanced
Ideal wind & swell are derived from the way this coast faces; break type is local knowledge. Match blends today’s swell angle, wind & period.

🌊 Why it’s reading like this right now

Onshore windwave direction
  • Short, wind-driven S swell at 7s is hitting at an angle
  • 11 km/h onshore wind is adding chop
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Coffee Bay surf mission card
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🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 26km/h Offshore01:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 29km/h Cross02:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 26km/h Cross03:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 25km/h Offshore04:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 17km/h Offshore05:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 12km/h Offshore06:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 12km/h Offshore07:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Offshore08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Cross09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 4km/h Cross10:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore11:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore12:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore13:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 13km/h Onshore14:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 15km/h Onshore15:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore16:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 11km/h Onshore17:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore18:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 5km/h Onshore19:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 8km/h Onshore20:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 5km/h Onshore21:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 9km/h Cross22:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Cross23:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Crossnow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ epic   ■ clean   ■ fun   ■ marginal   ■ flat   ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Shortboard
🤿 Wetsuit
Shorty / springsuit
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen (UV very high)
☀️Midday:Warmer but often windier; moderate crowd
Crowd estimate is a comfort/timing proxy from conditions & day of week — not a live crowd count.
Swell & wind
NESW
■ swell in   ■ wind (green=offshore/good)   offshore zone
Spot match
Swell anglePeriodSizeWindSea state
5-day wave & wind forecast
WedThuFriSatSun0.0m1.2m2.4m01225now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 13 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 1.9 m 6 s S 12 km/h Onshore
Wed 14 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 1.4 m 8 s S 20 km/h Onshore
Thu 15 Oct ★★★★☆ 1.8 m 8 s SSW 18 km/h Cross
Fri 16 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.0 m 10 s SSW 14 km/h Onshore
Sat 17 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.4 m 8 s SSW 23 km/h Cross
Sun 18 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.1 m 9 s SSW 13 km/h Cross
Mon 19 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.5 m 6 s SSE 27 km/h Cross

Daily peak wave height, mean swell period & direction, midday wind. Rating is our surf-quality score.

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00H 04:44L 10:40H 16:56L 23:06now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 05:24 · Sunset 18:14 · Peak UV 8

Surfers & anglers get the highest UV dose of anyone. Recommended: SPF 50+, reapply every 2 hours and after every session.

Shop SPF 50+ sunscreen →

Surf/wave: Open-Meteo Marine. Sun/UV/pressure: Open-Meteo. Tides: Stormglass model. Solunar is an approximate guide. Generated Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Coffee Bay

Crayonised aerial map of Coffee Bay

Hand-styled from NGI 0.25 m national aerial aerial imagery. Surf peaks, channels & hazards are being added spot by spot.

About Coffee Bay — Surf Local Knowledge

Coffee Bay is a remote village on the Transkei Wild Coast, reached by a long winding road down through the hills to a river-mouth bay backed by green cliffs and rondavels. It is one of the most scenic corners of the South African coast, with the celebrated Hole in the Wall rock formation just down the shore, and it carries the raw, undeveloped feel of the whole Wild Coast.

The main draw for surfers is Coffee Bay Point, a right-hand point break that peels off the rocks when a solid south to south-west groundswell meets a west to north-west offshore. There are also beach-break waves in the bay itself. Best for intermediate and advanced surfers when the point is working; it stays largely uncrowded. Being remote Wild Coast, expect no lifeguards, strong rips, rocks and a genuine shark presence — self-reliance is essential.

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