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Scarborough 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
2.0 m
SWELL
1.9m @ 7s
WIND
12 km/h Onshore
WATER
15.7°C

★★☆☆☆

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

Swell: 1.9 m @ 7 s (WSW)

Wave height: 2.0 m

Wind: 12 km/h W Onshore

Sea temp: 15.7 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties

Best window today: 07:00–09:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
45% match
Today: rideable but not classic
🌊 Wave type
Beach break
🧭 Best swell
WSW groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
ENE 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 WSW swell at 7s is wrapping into the bank
  • 12 km/h onshore wind is adding chop
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Scarborough surf mission card
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🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 3km/h Onshore01:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 4km/h Cross02:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 5km/h Onshore03:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 5km/h Onshore04:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 5km/h Onshore05:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 4km/h Onshore06:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 3km/h Onshore07:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 2km/h Onshore08:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 6km/h Onshore09:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore10:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore11:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore12:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore13:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 15km/h Onshore14:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 14km/h Onshore15:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 15km/h Onshore16:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 16km/h Onshore17:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 15km/h Onshore18:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore19:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 9km/h Onshore20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Cross21:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Cross22:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 9km/h Cross23:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Crossnow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ 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 (UV very high)
🧢 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
WedThuFriSatSun0.0m1.6m3.2m01632now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 13 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 2.0 m 7 s WSW 12 km/h Onshore
Wed 14 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.7 m 9 s WSW 26 km/h Cross
Thu 15 Oct ★★★☆☆ 3.2 m 9 s WSW 32 km/h Cross
Fri 16 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.5 m 8 s WSW 23 km/h Cross
Sat 17 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.8 m 8 s SW 15 km/h Onshore
Sun 18 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.7 m 9 s SW 24 km/h Cross
Mon 19 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.5 m 9 s SW 12 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 04:25L 10:21H 16:34L 22:44now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 06:05 · Sunset 18:59 · Peak UV 8

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 Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Scarborough

Crayonised aerial map of Scarborough
Beach break
Reef & rocks
Rip
PeakHazard rocksRip current

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 Scarborough — Surf Local Knowledge

Scarborough is a windswept village near the south-western tip of the Peninsula, just outside the Cape Point reserve and about 45 minutes from Cape Town. Its long, wild beach and the rocky Misty Cliffs alongside give it a remote, unspoilt feel.

The surf is an exposed beach break that needs the right conditions to work, offering punchy peaks over sand when a south-west swell lines up with light or south-east offshore winds. It suits intermediate and experienced surfers and rarely gets crowded, but it is exposed to strong wind, cold Atlantic water, rip currents and rocks. Neighbouring Misty Cliffs and the Kommetjie breaks are the usual nearby alternatives.

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