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Plettenberg Bay Surf Report

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SURF RATING
POOR
★★☆☆☆
Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.
WAVE
1.8 m
SWELL
1.7m @ 8s
WIND
8 km/h Onshore
WATER
17.4°C

★★☆☆☆

Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.

Swell: 1.7 m @ 8 s (SW)

Wave height: 1.8 m

Wind: 8 km/h SE Onshore

Sea temp: 17.4 °C · Wetsuit: 3/2 mm full wetsuit

Best window today: 06:00–08:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
14% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 Wave type
Beach break (Central + the Wedge)
🧭 Best swell
SE groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
NW 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

Onshore windwave direction
  • Short, wind-driven SW swell at 8s is hitting at an angle
  • 7 km/h onshore wind is adding chop
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Plettenberg 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 (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 4km/h Offshore01:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 9km/h Offshore02:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 11km/h Offshore03:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 11km/h Offshore04:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 10km/h Offshore05:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 7km/h Offshore06:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 8km/h Offshore07:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 8km/h Offshore08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Cross09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Cross10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Cross11:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 9km/h Cross12:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore13:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore14:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore15:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore16:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore17:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 9km/h Onshore18:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore19:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 7km/h Onshore20:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 7km/h Onshore21:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore22:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 5km/h Onshore23:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 2km/h Crossnow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ 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
🌙Off-hours:Low light — likely quiet
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
WedThuFriSatSun0.0m1.5m3.0m0714now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 13 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 1.9 m 7 s SW 10 km/h Onshore
Wed 14 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.0 m 8 s SSW 9 km/h Onshore
Thu 15 Oct ★★★☆☆ 3.0 m 10 s SW 10 km/h Onshore
Fri 16 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.3 m 9 s SW 11 km/h Onshore
Sat 17 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.2 m 8 s SW 11 km/h Onshore
Sun 18 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.7 m 8 s SSW 10 km/h Cross
Mon 19 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.3 m 9 s SW 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 05:06L 10:50H 17:17L 23:18now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 05:45 · Sunset 18:39 · Peak UV 3

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 21:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Plettenberg Bay

Crayonised aerial map of Plettenberg Bay
Central Beach
The Wedge
Rocks
PeakTake-off / peakHazard rocks

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 Plettenberg Bay — Surf Local Knowledge

Plettenberg Bay is a broad, north-east-facing bay backed by the Robberg peninsula, with a run of beaches — Central (Main) Beach, Robberg Beach and Lookout — curving round towards the Keurbooms river mouth. It is a bustling holiday town with warm, clean water.

Central Beach is a gentle beach break ideal for beginners and learners, while Robberg and Lookout offer more consistent, punchier peaks for improving and intermediate surfers. The bay works on south to south-west and south-east swells and is cleanest in light offshore winds off the land; note that the sandbanks shift and Lookout Beach in particular reshapes dramatically as the Keurbooms mouth migrates. Watch for rips near the river mouth and around the sandbars when the swell is up.

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