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Hout Bay Surf Report

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SURF RATING
GOOD
★★★★☆
Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.8 m
SWELL
1.3m @ 9s
WIND
28 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
15.1°C

★★★★☆

Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.

Swell: 1.3 m @ 9 s (SW)

Wave height: 1.8 m

Wind: 28 km/h SE Cross-shore

Sea temp: 15.1 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties

Best window today: 11:00–13:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
48% match
Today: rideable but not classic
🌊 Wave type
Beach break
🧭 Best swell
WSW groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
ENE offshore
🏄 Board
Shortboard
📈 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

Cross-shore windwave direction
  • Mid-period SW swell at 9s is wrapping into the bank
  • 27 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Hout Bay surf mission card
Save or screenshot, then send it to your crew on WhatsApp.

🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 28km/h Cross01:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 29km/h Cross02:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 30km/h Cross03:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 30km/h Cross04:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 28km/h Cross05:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 22km/h Offshore06:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 18km/h Cross07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 16km/h Cross08:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 13km/h Offshore09:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 9km/h Offshore10:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 5km/h Cross11:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 5km/h Cross12:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 6km/h Cross13:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 11km/h Cross14:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 14km/h Cross15:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 17km/h Cross16:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 17km/h Cross17:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 18km/h Cross18:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 20km/h Cross19:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 20km/h Cross20:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 20km/h Cross21:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 20km/h Cross22:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 21km/h Cross23:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 17km/h Crossnow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ epic   ■ clean   ■ fun   ■ marginal   ■ flat   ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Shortboard
🤿 Wetsuit
4/3 mm wetsuit + booties
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen (UV very high)
🧢 Bring
Boots & hood
🌅Dawn window:Best quality, coolest — usually the quietest 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
TueWedThuFriSatSun0.0m1.5m3.1m01530now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 3 Nov ★★★★☆ 1.7 m 9 s SW 6 km/h Cross
Wed 4 Nov ★★★☆☆ 1.4 m 8 s SSW 12 km/h Onshore
Thu 5 Nov ★★★☆☆ 2.7 m 10 s WSW 28 km/h Onshore
Fri 6 Nov ★★☆☆☆ 2.5 m 8 s WSW 21 km/h Onshore
Sat 7 Nov ★★★★☆ 3.0 m 8 s SW 22 km/h Cross
Sun 8 Nov ★★★★☆ 2.6 m 9 s SSW 22 km/h Offshore
Mon 9 Nov ★★★☆☆ 1.6 m 8 s SSW 12 km/h Onshore

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

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00L 04:43H 11:03L 17:37H 23:41now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 05:42 · Sunset 19:17 · 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, 03 Nov 2026 00:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Hout Bay

Crayonised aerial map of 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.

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