ISO 24444 / ISO 24443 EU COLIPA and SANS 1557 Verified Broadspectrum Sunscreens
Hout Bay Surf Report
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SURF RATING
FAIR
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: waist-to-chest-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.2 m
SWELL
1.1m @ 8s
WIND
12 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
14.8°C
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: waist-to-chest-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
Swell: 1.1 m @ 8 s (SSW)
Wave height: 1.2 m
Wind: 12 km/h NNW Cross-shore
Sea temp: 14.8 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties
Best window today: 12:00–14:00 (lightest wind)
🧬 Break DNA
37% match
Today: rideable but not classic
🌊 Wave type
Beach break
🧭 Best swell
WSW groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
ENE offshore
🏄 Board
Fish or groveller
📈 Skill
Beginner-friendly on the smaller days
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
- Mid-period SSW swell at 8s is wrapping into the bank
- 12 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
- Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
🏄 When to paddle out today
🏄 Reading today’s surf…
■ epic ■ clean ■ fun ■ marginal ■ flat ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour
🎒 Pack for this session
🏄 Board
Fish or groveller
🤿 Wetsuit
4/3 mm wetsuit + booties
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
🧢 Bring
Boots & hood
☀️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
■ swell in ■ wind (green=offshore/good) offshore zone
Spot match
5-day wave & wind forecast
■ wave height (m) ── wind (km/h, right)
7-Day Surf Forecast
| Day | Rating | Wave | Period | Swell | Midday wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 23 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 1.2 m | 8 s | SW | 7 km/h Onshore |
| Thu 24 Sep | ★★☆☆☆ | 1.6 m | 8 s | S | 7 km/h Onshore |
| Fri 25 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 1.7 m | 9 s | SSW | 11 km/h Cross |
| Sat 26 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 1.9 m | 9 s | SW | 19 km/h Cross |
| Sun 27 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.6 m | 9 s | SW | 36 km/h Cross |
| Mon 28 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.4 m | 9 s | SSW | 40 km/h Cross |
| Tue 29 Sep | ★★☆☆☆ | 1.9 m | 7 s | SSE | 33 km/h Offshore |
Daily peak wave height, mean swell period & direction, midday wind. Rating is our surf-quality score.
🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)
☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day
Sunrise 06:33 · Sunset 18:44 · Peak UV 5
Surfers & anglers get the highest UV dose of anyone. Recommended: SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours and after every session.
Shop SPF 30+ sunscreen →Surf/wave: Open-Meteo Marine. Sun/UV/pressure: Open-Meteo. Tides: Stormglass model. Solunar is an approximate guide. Generated Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:13 SAST.
Aerial map — Hout Bay
Beach break
Peak
Hand-styled from NGI 0.25 m national aerial. Markers show the peak, channel & hazards — indicative local knowledge, not live conditions or navigation advice; tides, banks, rips & hazards change, so use your own eyes on the day.
About Hout Bay — Surf Local Knowledge
Hout Bay is a harbour town on the Atlantic side of the Peninsula, ringed by mountains and guarded by the towering Sentinel peak. Off that headland lies Dungeons, South Africa's most famous big-wave spot, about a kilometre offshore.
Dungeons is a heavy, deep-water reef break that only comes alive on large, long-period west to south-west groundswells, holding waves well over 10 metres. It is strictly a tow and paddle arena for elite big-wave surfers, reached by boat from the harbour, and is best on light northerly winds and a lower tide. The hazards are extreme: huge, cold, powerful surf, deep reef, strong currents and sharks. Ordinary surfers head instead to the Peninsula's gentler breaks.