Beach

both

Level 6/10

Plettenberg Wedge

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

🦈Sharks🌀Strong rips

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Plettenberg Wedge is a bodyboard-friendly wedge setup near Plettenberg Bay, known for short, explosive peaks when swell rebounds off structure and sand. It is not a mellow family beach wave: the takeoff can be abrupt, the sand bottom shifts, and the best days suit confident surfers and bodyboarders who understand shorebreak dynamics.

Plettenberg Wedge surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today4

Fair

2.0mSSW@10s

9km/h

2.0m@10s

9km/h

Thu5

Fair

1.4mSSW@9s

17km/h

1.4m@9s

17km/h

Fri6

Poor

2.8mSW@8s

16km/h

2.8m@8s

16km/h

Sat7

Poor

3.5mSSW@9s

12km/h

3.5m@9s

12km/h

Sun8

Poor

3.0mSSW@10s

20km/h

3.0m@10s

20km/h

Mon9

Poor

2.1mESE@10s

11km/h

2.1m@10s

11km/h

Tue10

Poor

1.1mESE@9s

12km/h

1.1m@9s

12km/h

Wed11

Poor

1.7mSW@11s

14km/h

1.7m@11s

14km/h

Thu12

Poor

3.0mSW@9s

9km/h

3.0m@9s

9km/h

Fri13

Poor

0.0mN@11s

10km/h

0.0m@11s

10km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 7 km/h · PM 10 km/h · Low tide at 5am (0.5m)

Swell

2.0m

SSW(201°)

Score: 25/25

Period

10s

Mid-period swell

Score: 6/25

Wind

9km/h

SE(128°)

Score: 11/25

Weather

22°C

0.0mm84%

First light 4:53amSunrise 5:23amSunset 6:57pmLast light 7:27pm

Windswell

0.3m@2s

Secondary

0.2m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.0m @10s SSW outside window

Wind9 km/h SE onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 4:53–10:03am · through lowStrike window: 2:03–7:27pm · through lowIdeal tide: low to mid

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

13°

22°

24°

21°

17°

25°

26°

23°

20°

17°

22°

21°

19°

14°

16°

18°

17°

13°

17°

19°

17°

13°

20°

23°

24°

23°

19°

20°

22°

19°

18°

22°

25°

24°

20°

16°

17°

19°

17°

16°

19°

21°

18°

4m2.0

sec

10s

11s

10s

14s

12s

11s

swell

windkm/h

5g12

8g23

13g33

13g32

8g23

8g16

18g40

21g54

17g45

16g41

7g14

12g30

20g45

19g45

13g39

11g22

9g23

12g32

14g34

11g32

5g14

15g35

25g56

28g64

24g60

2g17

15g32

17g43

11g40

1g27

12g27

12g31

14g38

14g42

4g41

0g9

6g18

20g43

25g59

16g61

10g23

9g23

10g29

10g32

4g31

2g16

6g21

13g34

16g41

10g42

tidem

5:42am0.5m

12:02pm1.6m

6:30pm0.5m

6:30am0.5m

12:47pm1.9m

7:14pm0.5m

1:07am1.7m

7:10am0.6m

1:20pm2.0m

7:51pm0.4m

1:42am1.7m

7:45am0.4m

1:50pm1.9m

8:20pm0.2m

2:12am1.6m

8:19am0.1m

2:24pm1.7m

8:46pm0.0m

2:48am1.4m

8:42am0.1m

2:58pm1.7m

9:07pm0.2m

3:18am1.7m

9:16am0.3m

3:26pm1.8m

9:40pm0.2m

3:52am1.7m

9:40am0.4m

4:00pm1.9m

10:05pm0.5m

4:15am1.9m

10:19am0.5m

4:18pm1.6m

Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

5:42 am

Low · 0.48m

12:02 pm

High · 1.56m

6:30 pm

Low · 0.48m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Components

Swell Direction9/25

Swell Size25/25

Swell Period6/25

Wind11/25

Raw Score51/100

Adjustments

💨 Gusty Wind-4

Adjusted Score47/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score47

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to PLZ, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.0m @10s SSW outside window

Wind9 km/h SE onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: S (170°)
Direction range: 150° - 190°
Size range: 0.9m - 2.4m
Ideal size: 1.6m - 2m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: W (270°)
Offshore range: 250° - 290°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: low to mid

Water temp

18°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Bottom

Sand

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

3/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Plettenberg Wedge?

Plettenberg Wedge is a beach break in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, with peaks that run both left and right over a sand bottom. It's also a renowned bodyboarding wave.

What swell works best at Plettenberg Wedge?

Plettenberg Wedge picks up swell from the SSE round to the S, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the S. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 0.9m and handles up to about 2.4m, with the sweet spot around 1.6 to 2m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Plettenberg Wedge?

A W wind is dead offshore at Plettenberg Wedge, and anything from the WSW round to the WNW keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to midday. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Plettenberg Wedge?

Plettenberg Wedge is at its best around the low to mid tide.

When is the best time of year to surf Plettenberg Wedge?

The most reliable run of swell at Plettenberg Wedge comes Apr to Sep.

How cold is the water at Plettenberg Wedge?

The water at Plettenberg Wedge averages around 18°C, so you'll want a 3/2mm fullsuit. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Plettenberg Wedge good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 6/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 3/10). Great white shark territory. Be aware.

How do I get to Plettenberg Wedge?

The nearest airport on our list is PLZ, then it's roughly a 2-hour drive.

What other surf spots are near Plettenberg Wedge?

The closest breaks we track are Buffalo Bay (37 km), handy when Plettenberg Wedge isn't working.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Sep

Getting There

Airport

PLZ

Drive time

120 min

Data quality

community

🤙 Strike Specialist

The Strike Specialist in South Africa is Llewellyn Whittaker. Get in touch with them for the best chance of scoring the best waves in South Africa — and don't forget to tell 'em Barrel D sent ya. He also offers high-level surf coaching, so you can level up while you strike.

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