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Scarborough Surf Report
SURF RATING
POOR
★★☆☆☆
Marginal: waist-to-chest-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.3 m
SWELL
1.1m @ 8s
WIND
14 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
12.6°C
★★☆☆☆
Marginal: waist-to-chest-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
Swell: 1.1 m @ 8 s (SW)
Wave height: 1.3 m
Wind: 14 km/h SSE Cross-shore
Sea temp: 12.6 °C · Wetsuit: 5/4 mm wetsuit, booties + gloves
Best window today: 06:00–08:00 (lightest wind)
🧬 Break DNA
39% 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
- Short, wind-driven SW swell at 8s is wrapping into the bank
- 13 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
- 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
5/4 mm wetsuit, booties + gloves
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
🧢 Bring
Boots & hood
🌅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
■ 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 9 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 1.4 m | 10 s | SW | 19 km/h Cross |
| Thu 10 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 2.5 m | 10 s | SW | 21 km/h Cross |
| Fri 11 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.9 m | 10 s | SW | 39 km/h Cross |
| Sat 12 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 3.5 m | 11 s | SW | 37 km/h Cross |
| Sun 13 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.8 m | 10 s | SSW | 35 km/h Offshore |
| Mon 14 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 1.8 m | 10 s | SW | 24 km/h Cross |
| Tue 15 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.1 m | 9 s | SW | 41 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 06:52 · Sunset 18:34 · 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, 09 Sep 2026 00:13 SAST.
Aerial map — 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.