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Hout Bay 81.8
#1698 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇿🇦 South Africa · Western Cape · near Cape Town
Works almost every day, no off season, real size comes through.
Works all yearBig waveAdvanced
Surf score81.8 /100
Surfable days98% of the year
Clean days23% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell67% period 11 s+
Typical size2.2 m 7.4 ft median
Water15°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Hout Bay
The best time to surf Hout Bay is May, June, July. The season runs May to Jul. In May the water sits around 15°C, so pack a 4/3 with boots, and the typical wave is 2.3 m. The nearest airport is CPT (24 km) and the nearest town is Cape Town (16 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100% | 5% | 2.1 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Feb | 100% | 12% | 2.0 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Mar | 99% | 20% | 2.0 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Apr | 100% | 25% | 2.2 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| May | 97% | 51% | 2.3 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 93% | 48% | 2.6 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 93% | 41% | 2.7 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 94% | 36% | 2.7 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 98% | 21% | 2.3 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 99% | 17% | 2.3 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 100% | 8% | 2.1 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Dec | 100% | 9% | 2.0 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
Why 81.8
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%
13.4
Groundswell 12%
12.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
7.4
Water comfort 10%
1.1
Access 10%
9.8
The detail
Faces 225° with 28% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 34% of days. Mean peak period 11.7 s. Days over 3 m: 14%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 1%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -34.047, 18.354 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Hout Bay Harbour Wall🇿🇦 South Africa · score 81.5Dungeons (The Slab section)🇿🇦 South Africa · score 84.2Chapman's Peak mystery lefts.🇿🇦 South Africa · score 87.8Dungeons🇿🇦 South Africa · score 84.0
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