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Thermopylae 92.8
#416 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 score92.8 /100
Surfable days97% of the year
Clean days48% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell66% period 11 s+
Typical size2.1 m 6.8 ft median
Water16°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Thermopylae
The best time to surf Thermopylae is February, April, August. The season runs Dec to Oct. In April the water sits around 17°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 1.9 m. The nearest airport is CPT (19 km) and the nearest town is Cape Town (3 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 99% | 50% | 1.8 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Feb | 100% | 53% | 1.7 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Mar | 99% | 44% | 1.7 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Apr | 100% | 67% | 1.9 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| May | 98% | 52% | 2.3 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 91% | 42% | 2.5 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 90% | 40% | 2.8 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 92% | 58% | 2.6 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 97% | 40% | 2.2 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 99% | 45% | 2.0 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 100% | 36% | 1.8 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Dec | 100% | 46% | 1.8 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
Why 92.8
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%
24.0
Groundswell 12%
12.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
6.7
Water comfort 10%
1.8
Access 10%
10.0
The detail
Faces 355° with 36% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 74% of days. Mean peak period 11.7 s. Days over 3 m: 14%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 8%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -33.899, 18.409 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
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