ISO 24444 / ISO 24443 EU COLIPA and SANS 1557 Verified Broadspectrum Sunscreens
Nahoon Reef Surf Report
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SURF RATING
GOOD
★★★★☆
Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, groomed clean by light offshore wind.
WAVE
1.6 m
SWELL
1.3m @ 5s
WIND
9 km/h Offshore
WATER
16.3°C
★★★★☆
Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, groomed clean by light offshore wind.
Swell: 1.3 m @ 5 s (E)
Wave height: 1.6 m
Wind: 9 km/h NW Offshore
Sea temp: 16.3 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties
Best window today: 16:00–18:00 (lightest wind)
🧬 Break DNA
59% match
Today: a solid, fun day
🌊 Wave type
Reef break
🧭 Best swell
SE groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
NW 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 E swell at 5s 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 | ★★☆☆☆ | 1.8 m | 7 s | ESE | 9 km/h Onshore |
| Thu 24 Sep | ★★☆☆☆ | 1.5 m | 7 s | SE | 13 km/h Onshore |
| Fri 25 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 1.7 m | 9 s | SSE | 14 km/h Cross |
| Sat 26 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 1.4 m | 8 s | S | 11 km/h Onshore |
| Sun 27 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 2.3 m | 8 s | SSW | 29 km/h Cross |
| Mon 28 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.2 m | 7 s | S | 25 km/h Cross |
| Tue 29 Sep | ★★☆☆☆ | 1.8 m | 7 s | S | 7 km/h Onshore |
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 05:54 · Sunset 18:06 · Peak UV 7
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 — Nahoon Reef
Reef take-off
Reef (shallow rock)
Channel / paddle-out
Take-off / peakHazard rocksChannel / paddle-out
Hand-styled from Esri World Imagery. 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 Nahoon Reef — Surf Local Knowledge
Nahoon Reef, on the northern edge of East London beside the Nahoon River mouth, is one of the Eastern Cape's best-known waves and one of South Africa's classic reef breaks. It sits off a rocky point at the end of the beach, breaking over a bottom of boulders and reef, and is a long-standing favourite that has hosted plenty of competition surfing over the years.
It is a quality right-hand reef break that peels for a good long ride when it is on, sometimes 100 metres or more. It needs a south-west groundswell and comes alive with an offshore wind from the west to north-west, working best from low tide as it pushes; winter is prime. This is an intermediate-to-advanced wave that draws crowds on the good days. Take real care of the boulders and urchins on entry and exit, and note that East London — Nahoon included — has a notable great white presence.