ISO 24444 / ISO 24443 EU COLIPA and SANS 1557 Verified Broadspectrum Sunscreens
Loch Ness Surf Report
SURF RATING
FAIR
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, groomed clean by light offshore wind.
WAVE
1.6 m
SWELL
1.2m @ 7s
WIND
8 km/h Offshore
WATER
16.4°C
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, groomed clean by light offshore wind.
Swell: 1.2 m @ 7 s (SE)
Wave height: 1.6 m
Wind: 8 km/h N Offshore
Sea temp: 16.4 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties
Best window today: 11:00–13:00 (lightest wind)
🧬 Break DNA
60% match
Today: a solid, fun day
🌊 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
- Short, wind-driven SE swell at 7s is wrapping into the bank
- 8 km/h offshore wind is grooming it clean
- 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
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
■ 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 | ★★☆☆☆ | 1.7 m | 8 s | SSE | 10 km/h Onshore |
| Thu 24 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.0 m | 6 s | SSE | 17 km/h Cross |
| Fri 25 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.1 m | 10 s | SSW | 19 km/h Onshore |
| Sat 26 Sep | ★★★★★ | 1.6 m | 9 s | SSW | 6 km/h Offshore |
| Sun 27 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.6 m | 8 s | SSW | 27 km/h Onshore |
| Mon 28 Sep | ★★☆☆☆ | 2.5 m | 8 s | SSW | 17 km/h Onshore |
| Tue 29 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.3 m | 7 s | SSE | 8 km/h Cross |
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 06:04 · Sunset 18:15 · Peak UV 6
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 Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:13 SAST.
Aerial map — 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.