Albatross Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.01° S 24.93° E

Issued: 7 pm 05 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Albatross sea temperature is
17.3° C

1.9°C colder than average for this time of year

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


Albatross surf forecast from 6 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with 5,752 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 6 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s 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 (Jul 06) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Albatross in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) 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 1.3m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Mon 6th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Wed 8th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 12s
Most Powerful 2AM (Fri 10th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 14s

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


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Alright, Rusty here, let’s look at what’s cooking at Albatross.

This is a sheltered beach-and-reef setup, and it’s consistent, so it’s worth keeping an eye on. The water temp is pretty much normal for this time of year.

The week starts Monday morning, July 6th, with clean, glassy surf. The swell is 6ft from the SW with a 12-second period. The energy is strong (1059), and that light offshore breeze from the NNW at 3 mph will have it looking smooth. A fun, friendly option for beginners.

Monday afternoon sees the swell bump to 6ft, but the wind turns cross-on, so the surface gets a bit choppy.

Tuesday, July 7th, is cleaner with a cross-off breeze at 9 mph in the morning and 6 mph in the afternoon. Swell holds at 7ft SW, period still 12 seconds. Energy is strong (1426). A nice, clean day.

Wednesday, July 8th, the swell pushes up to 8ft in the morning and 10ft by the afternoon, with a 13-second period. That’s getting powerful, and with a 15-19 mph cross-off wind, it’s clean but will be a handful for less experienced surfers. Energy is very strong (1914 to 3366).

Thursday, July 9th, is similar, with 12ft SW swell and 15 mph cross-off winds. Energy is very strong (4226). Big, clean, and powerful.

The standout window arrives Friday morning, July 10th. The swell is 12ft, direction shifts to a perfect SSW which is the optimum for this spot, with a 14-second period, and the wind is glassy from the ENE at 3 mph. The energy is massive at 4813. This is excellent, clean surf for experienced surfers only. If you’re an expert, this is the time. The afternoon gets choppy with a cross-on wind.

Saturday, July 11th, has the swell dropping to 8ft with an onshore wind in the morning, making it messy. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off, but the size is down.

Sunday, July 12th, is small at 4ft with a strong 22 mph offshore wind from the SW in the morning. Clean but tiny.

There’s a few days of messy or small conditions through Monday and Tuesday of the following week.

Things fire back up on Wednesday, July 15th, but with a 25 mph cross-off wind and a short-period 13ft to 15ft SW swell. The energy is very strong (2837-3697), but that wind is brutal and the short period (10 seconds) makes it a bit of a washing machine. Might be more interesting for kite surfing.

But then, Thursday, July 16th, is another serious standout. Morning has a 13ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period and a 12 mph cross-off, already excellent for experts. The afternoon is where it’s at: 12ft SW, 14-second period, and a gentle 9 mph offshore wind. Energy is massive at 5228. It’s clean, powerful, and lined up. This is a gem.

Friday, July 17th, has an onshore wind in the morning spoiling a 8ft swell, but the afternoon cleans up nicely with a cross-off and 7ft waves.

Saturday, July 18th, is another strong day. Morning has an 8ft SW swell at 13 seconds with cross-off winds, and the afternoon goes offshore at 6 mph with a 8ft swell. Energy is strong (2050-1858). Very clean, good for experienced surfers.

The last few days of the outlook fade in size and quality, with onshore winds and smaller swells.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is Friday July 10th morning for that glassy, perfect SSW swell, and then Thursday July 16th afternoon for the offshore, powerful groundswell. Get on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sun
12
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
1
3
2
3
3
3
2
2
2
4
3
3
4
4
0
1
2
1
0
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SE
11
1.7
SW
12
1.9
SW
12
1.9
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2.4
SW
13
3
SW
13
3.5
SW
12
3.5
SW
14
3.5
SW
13
4
SSW
14
3.5
SSW
14
3.5
SSW
13
3
SSW
13
2.4
SSW
12
1.9
SSW
12
1.7
SSW
12
1.9
ESE
8
1.3
SSW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
278
850
995
1047
1359
1298
1313
1892
2963
3089
4216
3916
5752
4806
3744
2663
1702
1045
833
427
412
Wind (km/h)
5
NNW
5
NNW
10
ESE
10
WNW
15
WSW
10
SSE
5
NW
25
WSW
30
WSW
20
WSW
25
WSW
25
WSW
10
WNW
5
ENE
20
E
15
ENE
10
NE
25
WSW
40
W
35
SW
25
WSW
Wind State
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
7:11AM1.31m
7:46PM1.43m
8:00AM1.23m
8:38PM1.39m
9:05AM1.15m
9:46PM1.35m
10:31AM1.11m
11:10PM1.34m
12:04PM1.15m
00:31AM1.39m
1:19PM1.26m
1:39AM1.48m
2:19PM1.39m
Low Tide
1:15AM0.39m
1:20PM0.31m
2:04AM0.43m
2:07PM0.39m
3:06AM0.47m
3:08PM0.46m
4:23AM0.48m
4:28PM0.51m
5:49AM0.45m
5:58PM0.48m
7:06AM0.36m
7:17PM0.40m
8:07AM0.24m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
light rain
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
heavy rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:26
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
5:25
5:25
5:27
 mm
3
2
3
26
3
Temp °C
18
18
20
19
17
19
15
18
19
16
15
15
14
14
15
16
17
18
15
14
16
Feels °C
16
15
17
16
14
17
15
13
12
14
10
9
11
13
12
12
16
18
9
6
10
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SE
11
1.7
SW
12
1.9
SW
12
1.9
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2.4
SW
13
0.8
SSW
18
3.5
SW
12
3.5
SW
14
3.5
SW
13
4
SSW
14
3.5
SSW
14
3.5
SSW
13
3
SSW
13
2.4
SSW
12
1.9
SSW
12
1.7
SSW
12
1.9
ESE
8
1.3
SSW
11
Energy kJ
278
850
995
1047
1359
1298
1313
1892
395
3089
4216
3916
5752
4806
3744
2663
1702
1045
833
419
412
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
WSW
9
0.9
ESE
11
0.9
ESE
11
0.7
SE
10
0.6
ESE
10
0.5
SE
10
0.4
ESE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.2
ESE
9
0.8
SSW
16
0.2
E
10
0.1
SE
16
0.1
SE
15
0.1
SE
13
0.2
E
13
0.1
W
12
0.1
SW
18
1.3
SSW
11
1.2
E
8
Energy kJ
116
204
176
106
67
48
36
22
8
339
8
10
8
7
14
3
12
427
168
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
SW
13
0.2
S
8
0.1
S
8
0.2
E
7
0.2
E
10
0.2
E
10
0.3
E
10
0.2
E
10
0.2
E
10
0.2
ESE
11
0.1
SE
16
0.1
SW
18
0.1
W
11
1
S
7
Energy kJ
205
5
1
4
8
8
17
8
8
11
10
12
2
97
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
E
6
0.9
WSW
4
0.9
WSW
4
3
SW
13
0.8
E
4
1
E
6
2.5
ESE
7
2.4
ESE
8
0.3
W
3
Energy kJ
6
26
31
2963
22
59
701
640
1
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
4
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
4
2
3
Distance (km)
2
0
30
0
0
0
1
1
140
0
1
1
0
0
198
140
30
64
140
143
140
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South)
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
4
6
5
4
4
4
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
4
6
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
6
4
8
7
5
5
9
8
9
9
5
5
6
5
8
5
5
8
6
5
5
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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