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Hell 86.5
#1208 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇿🇦 South Africa · Western Cape · near Saldanha
Works almost every day, clean mornings are the norm, no off season.
Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score86.5 /100
Surfable days100% of the year
Clean days58% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell76% period 11 s+
Typical size1.7 m 5.7 ft median
Water14°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Hell
The best time to surf Hell is February, April, August. The season runs all year. In April the water sits around 14°C, so pack a 4/3 with boots, and the typical wave is 1.6 m. The nearest airport is CPT (153 km) and the nearest town is Saldanha (35 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100% | 56% | 1.6 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Feb | 100% | 66% | 1.5 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Mar | 100% | 55% | 1.5 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Apr | 100% | 77% | 1.6 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| May | 100% | 59% | 1.8 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 96% | 40% | 2.1 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 98% | 49% | 2.2 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 99% | 67% | 2.0 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 100% | 52% | 1.9 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 100% | 56% | 1.7 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 100% | 51% | 1.6 m | 13°C | 5/4 |
| Dec | 100% | 55% | 1.6 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
Why 86.5
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
24.0
Groundswell 12%
12.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
5.2
Water comfort 10%
0.6
Access 10%
6.5
The detail
Faces 10° with 56% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 76% of days. Mean peak period 12.0 s. Days over 3 m: 5%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 12%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -32.700, 17.966 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Heaven🇿🇦 South Africa · score 86.0Cape st. Martin reef🇿🇦 South Africa · score 87.1Klein Trekoskraal🇿🇦 South Africa · score 81.1Groot Trekoskraal🇿🇦 South Africa · score 78.6
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