Plettenberg Bay

Best Surf Season (May - August)

Plettenberg Bay is at its most dependable when the austral winter cranks up the westerly storm machine in the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean. A semi-continuous train of cold fronts and deep mid-latitude lows pushes long-period SSW and SW groundswell into the Bay, while the prevailing wind swings to the W/WNW quadrants - offshore for this east-facing stretch of sand. Average swell heights climb from 2.3m in May to a solid 2.5m (8ft) from June through August, with average periods sitting in the 12.2-12.5s range and ideal winds blowing 47-50% of the time. The dominant SSW/SW direction is not the absolute bullseye for an east-facing beach, but the long-period energy refracts around the headlands and produces the most consistent, powerful and clean surf of the year. Water temps fall to 16-17°C (61-63°F), so a 4/3mm wetsuit is part of the deal.