Albatross Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.01° S 24.93° E

Albatross Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Albatross sea temperature is
13.1°C
5.8° 

Albatross surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Albatross surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 4,117 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 14s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Albatross this week:

The surf forecast for Albatross over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Albatross in the next 16 days are 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Mon 24th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 14s
Best Surf 8PM (Mon 24th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 14s
Most Powerful 2PM (Wed 26th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Albatross over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Albatross. This is a sheltered beach and reef setup that’s consistent, so we’ve got something to work with across the whole 16 days. The water is sitting at 56°F right now, which is a massive 10°F colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a serious chill, so don’t even think about going without a thick wetsuit.

We’ve got a sweet run starting Monday afternoon, the 24th of August. Light offshore wind from the SSW, a clean 4ft swell from the same direction, and the combined energy is pumping at a solid 1378 (moderate). It’s a beginner-friendly size, glassy clean, and the crowds are only sometimes a problem. Honestly, this is about as good as it gets for a mellow, fun session.

Tuesday the 25th is the real standout for the experienced crew. Morning starts with a clean 8ft SW swell (15-second period – groundswell) and offshore wind, pushing the energy up to 3456 (strong). By the afternoon, it’s pumping 10ft SW with a 15-second period and still offshore, hitting 4085 (strong). This is proper, powerful groundswell that will wrap in nicely at this sheltered spot. If you’re not an expert, stay out of the water – it’s going to be a handful.

Wednesday the 26th gets messy. Cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions ruin the show. Thursday the 27th is touch and go with marginal conditions, and Friday the 28th is small and weak. Saturday the 29th is a complete write-off with strong cross-shore winds.

Sunday the 30th shows some life again. Clean, light wind, 4ft SW swell, and the energy ticks back up to 731 (moderate). A nice little session for the dawn patrol.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September keep the good vibes going with clean offshore winds and consistent 5ft to 6ft SW swell. Nothing huge, but it’s clean and fun.

Now, here’s a long-range promise – Wednesday the 2nd of September. The afternoon brings a massive 12ft SW swell (13-second period) with clean offshore wind, and the energy is a roaring 3775 (strong). This is a big, powerful groundswell that will be a true test for experts only. Two days later, on the 4th, it gets absolutely giant – 20ft from the ESE with energy up to 9401 (very strong). But the wind goes cross-onshore, and it’s choppy and dangerous. That setup looks more like a kite surfer’s paradise than a paddle session. The same goes for the 5th and 6th of September – big waves but poor wind direction trashes the quality.

The best bet in the second week is still that Wednesday the 2nd. After that, it’s a lot of messy, blown-out, or just too big conditions. The 7th and 8th are small and poor again.

So, for the best of the best: grab Monday the 24th for a clean, fun beginner-to-intermediate session, and if you’re an expert, circle Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 2nd of September. The big late-season swell looks promising, but those cross-onshore winds are a real heartbreaker after the 3rd.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the E by Wed night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the NNW by Sat morning).

Mon
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
4
4
3
0
0
0
2
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
2
2
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
WSW
12
2.5
SW
12
2.5
SW
13
3
SW
15
3
SW
14
2.5
SSW
16
3
SSW
16
2.4
SSW
12
2
SSW
12
1.4
S
12
1.5
S
12
1.3
S
11
1.1
S
11
1.2
S
11
0.9
SSE
11
1.2
WSW
13
1.4
WSW
7
1.1
SW
14
1.4
WSW
13
2.1
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
508
2096
2305
3470
2928
3502
3612
1703
1177
563
650
418
284
338
202
454
180
463
649
1305
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
10
WNW
15
WSW
15
SSW
5
NW
25
E
30
E
30
ENE
10
NE
10
ESE
0
NNW
5
ENE
10
NE
20
NNW
40
NNW
15
NNW
5
WNW
10
SSW
30
WSW
10
WSW
Wind State
off
cross-off
off
off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
glassy
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
High Tide
2:15PM1.24m
2:18AM1.33m
2:43PM1.39m
2:47AM1.44m
3:10PM1.52m
3:15AM1.54m
3:36PM1.63m
3:42AM1.60m
4:02PM1.72m
4:10AM1.64m
4:29PM1.77m
4:39AM1.64m
4:57PM1.78m
Low Tide
8:16PM0.49m
8:32AM0.33m
8:46PM0.36m
8:58AM0.21m
9:14PM0.25m
9:23AM0.11m
9:41PM0.15m
9:49AM0.04m
10:09PM0.09m
10:15AM0.00m
10:38PM0.05m
10:42AM-0.00m
11:07PM0.06m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
light rain
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:48
6:47
6:46
6:43
6:43
6:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
5:59
6:00
 mm
2
1
Temp °C
17
14
14
16
15
17
17
17
20
24
23
26
33
31
32
34
32
22
19
16
Feels °C
15
13
12
13
15
13
12
11
19
24
23
25
31
28
24
27
29
21
15
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Albatross Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Albatross provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Albatross can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Albatross surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Albatross) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Albatross may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Albatross is 18 km (11 miles) from the city of Kruisfontein. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape (South), look for hotels and other accommodation in Kruisfontein. Kruisfontein has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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