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Black Rocks, South Africa

Stay in Fish Hoek: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Fish Hoek

All 33 on Fish Hoek's map

Watch this spot We email you when Black Rocks is worth the trip.

Fish Hoek from Elsie's Peak
Fish Hoek, the nearest town, 20 km away. Photo: Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Black Rocks

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (89°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (269°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 24). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Fish Hoek. Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 dive site.

Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 26 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

    See flights MDW → CPT · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Black Rocks.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Fish Hoek, 20 km (about 35 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Black Rocks: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Fish Hoek, 20 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Fish Hoek · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Fish Hoek · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Black Rocks on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Black Rocks does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct367 ft9 scrumbling815kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct396 ft9 scrumbling414kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct164 ft8 smushy204kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct457 ft9 scrumbling657kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct507 ft8 scrumbling515kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct376 ft8 scrumbling463kJ18°C
Sat 24Oct144 ft8 scrumbling152kJ18°C
Sun 25Oct12 ft7 smushy34kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct23 ft8 smushy119kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct12 ft8 smushy47kJ18°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 1h by road. About 26h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Black Rocks

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 7 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Black Rocks

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Black Rocks

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 1h by road. About 26h 50 door to door

The trip from Fish Hoek, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,210 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£765–£1,585
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,125–£2,210

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Fish Hoek

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Fish Hoek, 20 km (about 35 min by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.