Overview

Haakgat is one of Cape Town's most famous and dangerous reef breaks, located between Melkbosstrand and Big Bay. This expert spot is a powerful right-hander breaking on a very shallow rocky reef, known for its barrels and massive waves. Haakgat ("Shark Hole" in Afrikaans) is an iconic spot in South African wave riding, attracting the country's best riders. Waves can reach 4-5 meters in big swell. Exclusively reserved for experts with solid wave riding experience in extreme conditions.

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Spot forecast for Haakgat

Sunrise 05:58 · Sunset 19:03

Open-Meteo

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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 0.5 km from the spot.

Tuesday 20 October Low tide 05:00 · 0.7 m High tide 11:26 · 1.2 m Low tide 17:53 · 0.7 m High tide 23:48 · 1.2 m
Wednesday 21 October Low tide 05:55 · 0.6 m High tide 12:12 · 1.3 m Low tide 18:34 · 0.5 m
Thursday 22 October High tide 00:34 · 1.3 m Low tide 06:35 · 0.5 m High tide 12:47 · 1.5 m Low tide 19:08 · 0.4 m
Friday 23 October High tide 01:11 · 1.4 m Low tide 07:09 · 0.4 m High tide 13:20 · 1.6 m Low tide 19:39 · 0.3 m
Saturday 24 October High tide 01:45 · 1.5 m Low tide 07:42 · 0.3 m High tide 13:52 · 1.7 m Low tide 20:11 · 0.2 m

Haakgat: 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

216h

in November · 22.5 rideable days

The season runs from September to April, peaking in November: 16 rideable days a month and 216 hours of usable wind, at 25 °C. The low point is July, at 2.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 55%13-20 knots · 42%21-30 knots · 3%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 55% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is July, at 16 °C. The wettest month is July, with 177 mm.

Monthly averages: Haakgat

Monthly averages — Haakgat — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	14.0	126 h	27 °C	4 mm
February	14.5	145 h	27 °C	3 mm
March	15.5	111 h	26 °C	34 mm
April	15.0	108 h	24 °C	16 mm
May	6.5	36 h	21 °C	34 mm
June	5.0	29 h	18 °C	80 mm
July	2.5	18 h	16 °C	177 mm
August	3.5	16 h	17 °C	71 mm
September	13.5	107 h	20 °C	19 mm
October	15.5	140 h	23 °C	12 mm
November	22.5	216 h	27 °C	6 mm
December	16.5	142 h	26 °C	9 mm

Photo gallery of Haakgat

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Technical details of Haakgat spot

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

Rideable Not rideable

Spot functioning

Works with big southwest swell (2+ meters) combined with the SE Cape Doctor. Best at mid-rising tide — at low tide the reef is dry, at high tide waves lose power. When conditions align (big swell + moderate SE wind + good tide), Haakgat offers some of the best waves in South Africa. Perfect sessions are rare and highly coveted.

Spot opening date · Required level

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

On the water

Cold water (12-16°C), 5/3 wetsuit recommended for long sessions. Massive waves (2-5 m) breaking on an extremely shallow rocky reef. Violent currents. Dense kelp. The wave power is comparable to the best tropical reef breaks but with freezing water. Impact on the reef can be devastating.

Parking

Parking along Otto du Plessis Drive. Access via a path to the coast. The spot is visible from the road. No infrastructure. Don't leave valuables.

Wind specificities

South-easterly Cape Doctor in side-offshore, creating clean conditions and perfect waves. The best sessions are in moderate wind (15-25 knots). In very strong wind, conditions become extreme. The offshore component smooths wave faces and creates clean barrels.

Hazards

EXTREME DANGER: one of Cape Town's most dangerous spots. Very shallow reef with massive waves — risk of serious injuries (fractures, deep lacerations, drowning). Offshore wind that can carry you out to sea. Violent currents. Dense kelp. Cold water. Sharks (hence the name "Haakgat" — shark hole). Isolated spot without lifeguards. NEVER RIDE ALONE. Reserved exclusively for experts.

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Additional stations

ZS1DFR-1 Cape Town ZA19 km

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source madis - NOAA
ZA Signal Hill front 300m19.8 km

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source pgsonda.cz

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Webcams near Haakgat

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Nearby spots

All spots: Western Cape

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Haakgat kitesurf, windsurf and surf spot