Surfing in South Africa in August

Conditions in August

Water temp. : 17 °C
Wetsuit : 3/2 mm, 4/3 mm for long sessions

August is the fourth and final peak month. The pattern is unchanged from July, so what decides between them is not the surf: the Southern Ocean is still sending south-west groundswell with period, and the offshores are still holding the point open.

What August adds is the end of it. The lows begin tracking south again towards the end of the month, and September is a different kind of month. The water is at 17°C for a third month, and the air starts turning towards spring. If your dates are flexible inside the winter, the difference between June, July and August is mostly how many people are already there.

Learning in August

Still no. The Eastern Cape does not become a beginner coast again until November.

Where a beginner goes in August

These spots are reachable all year. What the month changes is the size of the waves, not the access.

For an experienced surfer

Surf : Excellent

The last full month of the season. After August the swells get less frequent, though the good days are still very good.

How August compares

All twelve months, side by side

Where these figures come from

Air, rain and sunshine: WMO / NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Agadir Al Massira, a station some twenty kilometres inland and so a little warmer than the coast in summer. Swell, period and share of workable wind: Swell Archive and surf-forecast. Water temperature: seatemperature.org and weather-and-climate. Crowds and prices are an editorial judgement, not a measurement.