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Nahoon Reef 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
2.1 m
SWELL
1.9m @ 10s
WIND
21 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
19.1°C

★★★★☆

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

Swell: 1.9 m @ 10 s (SSW)

Wave height: 2.1 m

Wind: 21 km/h NE Cross-shore

Sea temp: 19.1 °C · Wetsuit: 3/2 mm full wetsuit

Best window today: 09:00–11:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
31% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 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

Cross-shore windwave direction
  • Mid-period SSW swell at 10s is hitting at an angle
  • 21 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Nahoon Reef 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 (★★★★) · 2.2m chest-head · 16km/h Cross01:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.2m chest-head · 18km/h Cross02:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 19km/h Cross03:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 18km/h Cross04:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 19km/h Cross05:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 21km/h Cross06:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 21km/h Cross07:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 17km/h Cross08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 5km/h Onshore10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 9km/h Onshore11:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 6km/h Onshore12:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 6km/h Onshore13:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore14:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 9km/h Onshore15:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 11km/h Onshore16:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 6km/h Cross17:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 9km/h Onshore18:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 13km/h Onshore19:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.3m overhead · 13km/h Onshore20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.5m overhead · 32km/h Onshore21:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.5m overhead · 27km/h Onshore22:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.5m overhead · 24km/h Onshore23:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.6m overhead · 22km/h Onshorenow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ epic   ■ clean   ■ fun   ■ marginal   ■ flat   ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Shortboard
🤿 Wetsuit
3/2 mm full wetsuit
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
🦶 Bring
Booties for the rocks
🌅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
FriSatSunMonTue0.0m1.7m3.3m01734now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Thu 3 Sep ★★★☆☆ 2.1 m 9 s S 6 km/h Onshore
Fri 4 Sep ★★★☆☆ 3.1 m 8 s S 19 km/h Onshore
Sat 5 Sep ★★★★☆ 2.1 m 9 s SSE 19 km/h Cross
Sun 6 Sep ★★★★☆ 2.0 m 8 s SSE 23 km/h Cross
Mon 7 Sep ★★★★☆ 3.3 m 13 s S 34 km/h Cross
Tue 8 Sep ★★☆☆☆ 2.3 m 6 s ENE 9 km/h Onshore
Wed 9 Sep ★★★☆☆ 1.5 m 6 s ENE 11 km/h Cross

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 07:04L 12:58H 19:22now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 06:21 · Sunset 17:53 · 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 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Nahoon Reef

Crayonised aerial map of 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.

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