Surf Forecasts:
Albatross surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,881 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Albatross over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me break this down for you. Rusty here, lookin' at the charts for Albatross, and it's a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks.
Right now, the water temp's runnin' about average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thickest rubber just yet.
The forecast kicks off with a bit of a letdown. Saturday the 8th sees a solid 8ft SW swell, but a strong cross-offshore wind makes it a bit of a wrestle, and the energy is massive at 2462, but it's just not comin' together clean. Sunday the 9th brings even more size, with a 10ft SW swell, but the wind goes cross-off again, and the energy is cranked up to 3422. It's not the clean, groomed lines we're after. Monday afternoon the 10th is where things start to look interesting. The swell drops a touch to 10ft, but it's comin' from the SSW, and the wind goes light cross-off with a gentle breeze. The energy is still strong at 2228, and the report says it's excellent for experienced surfers. This is your best bet for the first week – a proper, powerful groundswell with clean conditions. The period is 11 seconds, so it's got some good shape to it.
Then we hit a dry spell. From Tuesday the 11th right through to Saturday the 15th, it's a write-off. Onshore winds, lumpy conditions, and poor surf. Tuesday the 16th finally sees a return of SW swell, 7ft, with a gentle offshore breeze from the WSW. The energy is up at 1407, and the reports say "very good". This is a solid window for a paddle.
The following week is a slow burn. Some marginal conditions, a few pockets of decent surf, but nothing to write home about until the standout. Then, hold onto your board, because Saturday the 22nd is the real deal. We've got a 16ft WSW swell, ridin' an 11-second period, with a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is a massive 6236, and it's flagged as "excellent" for experienced surfers. This is a big, powerful swell that will light up the reef and point setups. Sunday the 23rd keeps the fun going with 12ft from the SW and a gentle offshore wind. These two days are the reason we wait.
So, for the best of the lot: Monday afternoon the 10th for a solid, clean groundswell, and the absolute standout is Saturday the 22nd for that massive, clean swell that the experienced crew will be frothing on. The 22nd is a long way off, so keep an eye on the charts, but the signals are strong.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Sun afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 22 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2462 | 1919 | 4881 | 3567 | 2702 | 2924 | 1791 | 1789 | 4128 | 1879 | 1005 | 500 | 526 | 790 | 1172 | 1408 | 2054 | 1347 | 820 | 715 | 590 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:59AM1.09m | 00:33AM1.28m | 1:24PM1.24m | 1:44AM1.41m | 2:20PM1.42m | 2:35AM1.53m | 3:04PM1.59m | 3:18AM1.63m | 3:44PM1.72m | 3:57AM1.68m | 4:20PM1.79m | 4:32AM1.68m | 4:55PM1.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:00PM0.57m | 7:09AM0.43m | 7:29PM0.44m | 8:08AM0.28m | 8:27PM0.28m | 8:52AM0.14m | 9:13PM0.15m | 9:31AM0.03m | 9:54PM0.07m | 10:06AM-0.03m | 10:32PM0.03m | 10:40AM-0.04m | 11:06PM0.05m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — |
mm | — | — | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 20 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 2462 | 1919 | 4881 | 3567 | 2702 | 2924 | 1791 | 1789 | 4128 | 1879 | 1005 | 371 | 291 | 790 | 1172 | 1408 | 2054 | 1347 | 820 | 505 | 637 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 15 | E 9 | — | SSE 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 22 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 21 | S 9 | S 11 | — | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 54 | 50 | 66 | 46 | 48 | 30 | 23 | 71 | 13 | — | 216 | 500 | 526 | 172 | 75 | 625 | 6 | 2 | — | 715 | 590 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | E 9 | — | — | — | SSW 24 | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 11 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 16 | — | — | — | 112 | — | 51 | 31 | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | E 6 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — |
| kJ | 36 | 162 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 589 | 691 | 190 | 531 | 681 | 961 | 624 | 728 | 856 | 580 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 140 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 892 | 0 | 219 | 0 | 183 | 172 | 198 | 198 | 183 | 198 | 172 | 142 | 198 | 140 | 30 | 172 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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