Overview

Scarborough is a small coastal village on the southern Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, between Kommetjie and Misty Cliffs. The sandy beach is exposed to big Atlantic swells and the south-easterly Cape Doctor in side-offshore. Advanced conditions with big waves (1-3+ m) and technical wind. The beach is wild and uncrowded, offering a stunning natural setting with the peninsula mountains as backdrop.

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Spot forecast for Scarborough

Sunrise 05:58 · Sunset 19:04

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Swell and waves

Swell and tides over 8 days. Premium members see the swell and tides over 8 days. Without a subscription: 5 days.

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Wave height: < 0.5 m 0.5–1 m 1–2 m 2–3 m ≥ 3 m

Swell data by Open-Meteo Marine

Tides

Heights above lowest astronomical tide, in the spot's local time. Computed 5.5 km from the spot.

Tuesday 20 October Low tide 04:58 · 0.7 m High tide 11:25 · 1.2 m Low tide 17:52 · 0.7 m High tide 23:48 · 1.2 m
Wednesday 21 October Low tide 05:54 · 0.6 m High tide 12:11 · 1.3 m Low tide 18:33 · 0.5 m
Thursday 22 October High tide 00:33 · 1.3 m Low tide 06:33 · 0.5 m High tide 12:46 · 1.4 m Low tide 19:07 · 0.4 m
Friday 23 October High tide 01:10 · 1.4 m Low tide 07:08 · 0.4 m High tide 13:19 · 1.5 m Low tide 19:38 · 0.3 m
Saturday 24 October High tide 01:44 · 1.5 m Low tide 07:41 · 0.3 m High tide 13:51 · 1.6 m Low tide 20:10 · 0.2 m

Scarborough: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

351h

in November · 25.5 rideable days

The season runs from September to April, peaking in November: 21 rideable days a month and 351 hours of usable wind, at 22 °C. The low point is July, at 5.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 35%13-20 knots · 48%21-30 knots · 17%31+ knots · under 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 13 and 20 knots — 48% of rideable hours. That is the most versatile range, where most kites work. The coldest month is July, at 15 °C. The wettest month is July, with 161 mm.

Monthly averages: Scarborough

Monthly averages — Scarborough — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	21.5	251 h	24 °C	13 mm
February	19.5	231 h	24 °C	11 mm
March	20.0	229 h	23 °C	18 mm
April	21.5	195 h	20 °C	64 mm
May	9.0	83 h	19 °C	30 mm
June	7.0	56 h	17 °C	93 mm
July	5.5	47 h	15 °C	161 mm
August	5.5	38 h	15 °C	77 mm
September	17.0	181 h	18 °C	21 mm
October	20.5	224 h	20 °C	21 mm
November	25.5	351 h	22 °C	11 mm
December	21.0	287 h	23 °C	26 mm

Photo gallery of Scarborough

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Technical details of Scarborough spot

The spot works with winds from SE, SSE, S.

Rideable Not rideable

Spot functioning

Works with SW/W swell and SE Cape Doctor. Waves of 1 to 3+ meters. Offshore wind. Sandy bottom. All tides but powerful shore break at high tide. Advanced and isolated spot.

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Advanced

On the water

Cold water (10-14°C), 5/3 wetsuit. Big waves. Sandy bottom. Currents (rip currents). Kelp on edges.

Parking

Small parking at Scarborough beach. Quiet village with a few shops. Don't leave valuables.

Wind specificities

SE Cape Doctor side-offshore to offshore. Wind of 15 to 35 knots from October to March. Can be very gusty due to the mountainous terrain.

Hazards

Offshore wind. Big waves. Currents. Very cold water. Sharks (great whites). Isolated beach. No lifeguards. Don't ride alone.

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In memory of Patrice29.6 kmsource holfuy.com

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Additional stations

In29.6 km

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source gowind
CAPE POINT (68916-0)20.1 km

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source WIS2 - WMO

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Webcams near Scarborough

Webcams provided by Windy.com

Nearby spots

All spots: Western Cape

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Scarborough kitesurf and surf spot