Port Alfred - surf spot statistics

Port Alfred generally offers consistent surf year-round, with the best conditions occurring from May to August. During these months, ground swell dominance rises above 80%, providing clean, powerful waves with minimal wind interference. The mean swell size peaks at 2.9m in August, while May through July also see heights averaging 2.6m–2.8m. Wind conditions improve slightly in this period, with good wind days increasing to 23–25%—still not ideal, but better than the rest of the year. Autumn (April) and early spring (September) are decent transitional windows, with ground swell still strong (73–76%) and slightly more favorable winds than summer. However, from October to March, conditions decline due to higher wind swell influence (32–42%) and consistently poor wind direction (87–90% bad). While summer swells are smaller (2.3m–2.5m), they’re more likely to be choppy due to onshore winds. For surfers prioritizing quality over frequency, winter (May–August) is the clear choice, offering larger, cleaner waves despite lingering wind challenges. Advanced riders will find the biggest and most powerful swels in late winter (July–August), though persistent crosswinds require patience for optimal sessions.

November in Port Alfred offers solid surf conditions with an average swell height of 2.5m and a strong period of 10.9s, indicating powerful, well-formed waves. The swell is predominantly from the southwest (SW and SSW directions), which aligns best with the break, providing consistent, rideable waves in the 1.5–2.5m range and occasionally larger. However, the wind is the limiting factor—only 10% of the time is it ideal (typically light offshore or sideshore). ENE and E winds dominate, often blowing 20–40kph, which can create choppy or semi-rough conditions. When winds shift SE or lighter ENE, the surf cleans up, offering the best windows. Advanced surfers will find the most opportunities, particularly when SW swells coincide with favorable wind pockets, but patience is key as gusty onshores are frequent. Keep an eye on wind forecasts for those rarer clean sessions.