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Loch Ness Surf Report

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SURF RATING
FAIR
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
2.0 m
SWELL
1.8m @ 7s
WIND
16 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
16.6°C

★★★☆☆

Fair — worth a paddle: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.

Swell: 1.8 m @ 7 s (SW)

Wave height: 2.0 m

Wind: 16 km/h WSW Cross-shore

Sea temp: 16.6 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties

Best window today: 18:00–20:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
32% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 Wave type
Reef break (breaks over a reef ledge)
🧭 Best swell
S groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
N 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

Cross-shore windwave direction
  • Short, wind-driven SW swell at 7s is wrapping into the bank
  • 15 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Loch Ness surf mission card
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🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 11km/h Offshore01:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 15km/h Offshore02:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 4km/h Cross03:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 5km/h Cross04:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Cross05:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 12km/h Cross06:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 14km/h Cross07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 15km/h Cross08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 16km/h Cross09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 18km/h Cross10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 19km/h Cross11:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 18km/h Cross12:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 16km/h Cross13:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 14km/h Onshore14:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 14km/h Onshore15:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 13km/h Onshore16:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore17:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 9km/h Onshore18:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 7km/h Onshore19:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 4km/h Onshore20:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 3km/h Onshore21:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 4km/h Cross22:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 7km/h Cross23:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 7km/h Offshorenow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ 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
🧢 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
NESW
■ swell in   ■ wind (green=offshore/good)   offshore zone
Spot match
Swell anglePeriodSizeWindSea state
5-day wave & wind forecast
WedThuFriSatSun0.0m1.4m2.8m01835now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 13 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.0 m 7 s SW 16 km/h Cross
Wed 14 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.8 m 8 s SW 15 km/h Onshore
Thu 15 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.8 m 9 s SW 11 km/h Onshore
Fri 16 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.5 m 9 s SW 10 km/h Cross
Sat 17 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.2 m 8 s SW 19 km/h Onshore
Sun 18 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.6 m 9 s SW 15 km/h Onshore
Mon 19 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.2 m 9 s SW 17 km/h Onshore

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

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00H 04:40L 10:35H 16:51L 22:58now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 05:36 · Sunset 18:30 · 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 Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Loch Ness

Crayonised aerial map of Loch Ness
The reef
Rocks & reef
Beach
Take-off / peakHazard rocksPeak

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 Loch Ness — Surf Local Knowledge

Loch Ness sits at Noordhoek, a small residential stretch just east of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) on the western shore of Algoa Bay. The break takes its name from the jagged line of reef rocks that surface like a spine when the swell drops, and it shares this rocky coastline with neighbouring peaks such as Noordhoek Rights and the hollow left at Rocky's.

This is an exposed reef break, working mainly as a right-hander over a shallow rocky shelf. It favours a south to south-west groundswell in the head-high to overhead range, cleaned up by an offshore north-west wind, and comes into its own through the winter months, June often being the pick. It handles most tides but a low pushing to mid is generally best. Best suited to intermediate and advanced surfers; watch for exposed rocks, sea urchins, rip currents and the ever-present chance of sharks.

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