
Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 5,201 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 14s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Boneyards this week:
The surf forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 2.0m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Boneyards in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into what’s coming our way.
We’ve got a solid window of surf opening up, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with some serious power and a few wild cards. The first few days are the real deal, but you’ll need to pick your moments.
It all starts on Friday, July 24th. Boneyards is absolutely pumping in the morning. We’re looking at a 12ft swell from the southwest, and with glassy conditions and barely a breath of wind from the ENE, it’s as clean as it gets. The combined energy is massive – a whopping 5380 – so this is big, powerful, long-period groundswell (14 seconds). This is only for the experts; the size and energy will be a handful. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year.
That Friday afternoon, the swell drops just a touch to 10ft, but the wind swings southerly and picks up, making it a cross-off breeze. It’s still clean, but the energy is still extreme at 4005. It’s a step down in quality, but still a lot of swell.
Saturday the 25th is a better choice for the experienced crew. Morning brings a 7ft southwest swell with a solid 12 mph offshore wind from the southeast. The energy is still strong at 2139, and the conditions are clean. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 8ft, but the wind goes cross-off. Still very good, but the morning has the edge for cleanliness.
Sunday the 26th is a lovely morning session. A 7ft southwest swell with a light 6 mph cross-off breeze. The energy is a moderate 1668, and it’s clean. The afternoon gets a bit windier as the southerly picks up to 12 mph, but it’s still cross-off and clean, with a 6ft swell.
Now, Monday the 27th is where things get tricky. We’ve got a 8ft swell with a very long 17-second period, and the energy is huge at 3904. But the wind is howling from the southeast at 25 mph, making it a cross-off mess. It’s marginal. The afternoon is even worse – 31 mph near-gale offshore winds. It’s hard to even paddle into.
Tuesday the 28th is more of the same: strong, near-gale offshore winds making it nearly impossible to get out. The swell is 10ft with 15 to 16-second periods, but the conditions are for the die-hards only.
We get a break on Wednesday the 29th. The wind finally drops to a gentle 9 mph offshore from the east, and the swell is a clean 6ft from the southwest. The energy is a moderate 1067, and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon is even mellower, with a 5ft swell and light winds.
Thursday the 30th is a good one for a wider range of surfers. The swell drops to 4ft, and with a light cross-off breeze, it’s clean and fun. The energy is a lighter 524.
Friday the 31st sees the swell push back up to 6ft, but the wind comes from the northwest, putting us in a cross-on position. The waves will be there, but the texture won’t be perfect.
Saturday, August 1st, is a write-off. Onshore winds and messy conditions.
Sunday, August 2nd, the afternoon is a standout. The wind goes glassy again, and the 6ft southwest swell rolls in with a clean face. The energy is 1500. This is a great session.
The first week of August is a mixed bag. Monday the 3rd is windy and choppy. Tuesday the 4th is cleaner with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is smaller at 5ft.
The real big one for the second week is Wednesday, August 5th. We’re looking at a massive 12ft southwest swell with a 15-second period and energy at 5316. But the wind is onshore from the northwest. It’s a massive, powerful, messy cleanup set. The afternoon is even worse. This is a beast, but it’s not for paddling.
Thursday the 6th is a bit smaller, with a 8ft swell, but the wind is cross-shore, so it’s not classic.
The best bet in the second week is actually Sunday, August 2nd afternoon, which I already mentioned. For the long-range, Thursday, August 7th and Friday, August 8th see some size, but the wind is consistently onshore or cross-on, making it a messy, choppy affair. The big 13ft on Saturday the 8th is just a kiting day with that cross-on wind.
So, the standout is Friday morning, July 24th at Boneyards. It’s massive, clean, and powerful – a true expert’s dream. The backup is Sunday afternoon, August 2nd, for a clean, glassy session with a solid 6ft swell.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the SE by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
5380 | 4005 | 1264 | 1486 | 2130 | 1835 | 1291 | 866 | 966 | 3904 | 4888 | 4405 | 4650 | 3419 | 2027 | 1067 | 809 | 585 | 511 | 473 | 545 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 12:11PM1.01m | 00:19AM1.11m | 1:10PM1.09m | 1:14AM1.17m | 1:54PM1.18m | 1:57AM1.25m | 2:30PM1.27m | 2:33AM1.32m | 3:02PM1.35m | 3:06AM1.38m | 3:33PM1.43m | 3:38AM1.41m | 4:03PM1.48m | 4:09AM1.43m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:15PM0.61m | 6:59AM0.47m | 7:15PM0.54m | 7:44AM0.39m | 7:59PM0.46m | 8:20AM0.31m | 8:36PM0.38m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:09PM0.31m | 9:22AM0.17m | 9:40PM0.26m | 9:51AM0.13m | 10:11PM0.22m | ||||||||
7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | |
— | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
5380 | 4005 | 1264 | 1486 | 2130 | 1835 | 1291 | 866 | 966 | 3904 | 4888 | 4405 | 4650 | 3419 | 2027 | 1067 | 809 | 585 | 511 | 473 | 545 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 12 | WSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | — | SSW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 11 |
— | 5 | 1222 | 653 | 40 | — | 377 | 485 | 477 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 257 | 210 | 149 | 67 | 67 | 55 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 12 | SE 7 | SE 11 | — | — | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 |
— | 35 | 7 | 5 | — | — | 10 | 10 | 298 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 13 | 26 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 3 | SE 11 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | — | S 4 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 |
— | — | — | 5 | 5 | 21 | 8 | — | 25 | 214 | 431 | 658 | 716 | 659 | 645 | 670 | — | — | — | 13 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 286 | 203 | 25 | 32 | 26 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Boneyards Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Boneyards provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Boneyards can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Boneyards 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 (Boneyards) 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 Boneyards 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Cape Town? If you are looking for accommodation near Boneyards, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cape Town, consider staying in Cape Town which is 26 km (16 miles) away. Other places in and around Cape Town where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Robben Island which is 37 km (23 miles) away, Bellville, Kayamnandi and Stellenbosch.










