Senegal ยท Atlantic Africa
Each location is refreshed once every three hours. The hourly view, 7-day forecast, luck factor and packing notes come from the same stored update.
We compare the 7-day forecast with the version-matched historical observations available for the same time of year at Dakar Yoff. The delta shows whether conditions look better, worse or about the same as a typical late July.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Small waves but still worth a paddle for keen surfers. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Gentle onshore putting some texture on the faces.
PeakWave scores are planning signals, not safety clearance. Check local authorities, official bulletins and on-site conditions before you go. Read our editorial policy.
Dakar Yoff is a broad, highly exposed beach break located on the Cap-Vert peninsula in Senegal. The seafloor features a gentle, expansive gradient of compacted sand that slowly dissipates incoming wave energy. Because the beach faces north, it serves as a highly consistent swell magnet for North Atlantic winter groundswells. A south-easterly offshore wind is required to groom the wave face and maintain structural integrity. Due to the flat bathymetry, the waves generally spill rather than plunge, creating long, soft-crumbling walls that offer highly forgiving rides. This mechanical consistency and lack of aggressive hydrodynamics make Dakar Yoff an exceptional location for beginner and intermediate surfers. It provides ample space and manageable speeds for novices to practice pop-ups and trimming, whilst the outside peaks offer continuous, workable faces for intermediate carving manoeuvres across the broad oceanic expanse without severe crowds.
Heads up: thunderstorms forecast, and jellyfish: peak season.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
The air here is 10% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Air quality is similar to the comparison cities.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NOโ 5, Oโ 3, PM10 2, SOโ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 15:00
Moderate water clarity: ~4m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Dakar Yoff
Historical quality only. Safety is not reconstructed for this view.
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Create Profile โPartly. The model uses stored spot geometry, swell ranges and tide preferences where configured. It cannot see changing banks, crowds, access, closures or everything visible on a local cam, so treat it as a starting point.
The best week for surf at Dakar Yoff is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
Dakar Yoff is a broad, exposed beach break on the Cap-Vert peninsula in Senegal, offering accessible waves for beginners and intermediates in warm West African waters. The gently sloping sandy bottom produces soft, crumbling walls that spill rather than plunge, creating long, forgiving rides. The beach has an energetic atmosphere with local fishing pirogues launching through the surf and a growing Senegalese surf community using the wave as their training ground.
North Atlantic winter groundswells from November through March provide the most consistent and powerful conditions. The beach also picks up shorter-period north-westerly wind swell throughout the year. The wave works on 2-6ft of north to north-west swell. South-easterly offshore winds provide clean conditions, most reliable in the early mornings. The Harmattan dust wind from the Sahara can create unusual offshore conditions.
The wide beach offers multiple peaks spread across several hundred metres. The central section tends to have the most consistent banks. The northern end near the fishing beach can produce more defined peaks where boat channels structure the sand. Beginners should stay in the whitewater close to shore. Intermediate surfers can sit on the outer bars where longer green faces form.
Fishing pirogues launch through the surf zone and must be given right of way. Currents can develop on bigger swells. The sun is intense at this latitude. Portuguese man-of-war appear occasionally. The main beach can be busy with non-surfing activity. Sea urchins inhabit scattered rock patches.
Informal parking along the beachfront road. The beach is flat and immediately accessible. Basic facilities are available in the surrounding neighbourhood. Surf schools and board rental have established in recent years. The beach is within the city of Dakar, accessible by taxi or car rapide from anywhere in the city.
The growing Senegalese surf community uses Yoff as its primary training ground. Expect 10-20 surfers on good days, a mix of local learners and more experienced riders. International visitors are relatively uncommon. The atmosphere is friendly and encouraging, with the local community happy to share waves and knowledge.
The water is warm year-round (22-27C) so board shorts and a rash vest are sufficient. A longboard or wide fish maximises wave count on the gentle faces. The best conditions often arrive with the approach of a north Atlantic low-pressure system, when the swell builds and the offshore Harmattan wind holds. The local surf community is welcoming; engage with them and you will receive excellent local knowledge about the various breaks along the peninsula. If Yoff is too small, the heavier reef breaks at Ngor and Ouakam are a short taxi ride away.
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Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 30 days of logged conditions.
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at Dakar Yoff tend to be best between 07:00 to 10:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 38/100
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