
Surf Forecasts:
Albatross surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 4,656 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 10s. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Albatross over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, switching to feet and knots for you.
Water temp’s about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary.
The next week has some serious swell potential, but you gotta pick your windows. The early part of the week is a washout. Monday and Tuesday are looking pretty average with onshore or side-shore breezes messing up the shape, and not enough energy for a good session.
But Wednesday afternoon (August 5th), the switch flips. We get a clean, offshore wind out of the SW, with a solid 6ft SW groundswell and a long 16-second period rolling in. The energy is pumping. That’s the first real standout. This will be a proper, well-shaped wave for a beach and reef setup.
Then Thursday morning (August 6th) is one for the experienced crew only. The swell jumps to a powerful 12ft from the SW, period drops a touch to 14 seconds, but the energy is massive. Offshore light winds make for a clean, heavy face. This is expert territory for sure. The afternoon stays solid with a moderate offshore, still big and powerful.
We get a bit of a chop ruiner Friday (August 7th), with cross-onshore winds kicking up, but Saturday morning (August 8th) bounces back. Clean conditions return, with a still-strong 8ft SW swell (14-second period) and light offshore wind. Excellent for experienced surfers.
Sunday (August 9th) keeps the big swell train going. Another 12ft SW swell in the morning with clean, moderate offshore wind. That’s a lot of power. The afternoon stays good too.
There’s a bit of a lull Monday and Tuesday (10-11th), with poor winds and messy surf. Not worth the drive.
The real star of the show, though, is Wednesday, August 12th morning. The wind goes glassy. Absolutely flat calm, with a 6ft SW swell and 11-second period. The energy is strong, and with the surface like glass, this will be the most fun, user-friendly session of the whole run. Magical for breaks that handle a SW swell.
After that, Thursday and Friday (13-14th) morning sessions look excellent again, with clean or glassy conditions and solid 8ft to 10ft SW groundswells with a very long 15-second period. That’s a lot of water moving, but it’ll be clean. Just note, that long period at a beach and reef can get a bit straight, but the wind’s on your side. Saturday (August 15th) holds onto the quality with glassy conditions and a solid 8ft swell.
The second week winds down. Sunday and Monday (16-17th) fade into smaller waist-high stuff, but with clean winds at times. The last solid recommendation is Tuesday, August 18th morning: 5ft from the SW, moderate offshore, a good clean surf for a farewell wave.
So, if I had to pick just two standouts to wet your line – Wednesday, August 12th morning for that glassy, clean, and manageable swell, and Thursday, August 13th morning for the bigger, powerful, clean groundswell for the experienced crew.
Stay patient, pick your days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 18°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | ESE 10 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1008 | 731 | 698 | 537 | 570 | 418 | 342 | 305 | 1449 | 2278 | 4649 | 3718 | 2183 | 3094 | 2763 | 3143 | 2357 | 1643 | 3718 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross | off | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:05AM1.48m | 6:29PM1.60m | 6:40AM1.39m | 7:06PM1.52m | 7:22AM1.28m | 7:53PM1.41m | 8:17AM1.16m | 8:59PM1.29m | 9:50AM1.06m | 10:46PM1.22m | 11:59AM1.09m | 00:33AM1.28m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:07AM0.21m | 12:10PM0.15m | 00:42AM0.27m | 12:44PM0.24m | 1:24AM0.35m | 1:25PM0.35m | 2:18AM0.45m | 2:21PM0.48m | 3:39AM0.54m | 3:54PM0.59m | 5:36AM0.55m | 6:00PM0.57m | |||||||
— | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | |
5:39 | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 19 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | E 9 |
1008 | 731 | 698 | 551 | 459 | 342 | 342 | 319 | 1449 | 2278 | 4649 | 3718 | 2183 | 3094 | 2763 | 3143 | 2357 | 1643 | 126 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 16 | E 10 | — | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | — |
324 | 673 | 643 | 537 | 570 | 418 | 303 | 220 | 267 | 148 | 113 | 92 | 808 | 65 | — | 382 | 365 | 188 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 13 | — | S 12 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 10 | — | — | SSW 20 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
283 | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | 13 | 99 | 305 | 139 | — | — | 75 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 4 | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | E 10 | — | W 4 | WSW 6 | SW 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | 116 | — | 12 | 266 | 3718 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 10 | 30 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 180 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











