
Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with 4,574 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Boneyards this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Boneyards in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) 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 Saturday (Sep 19) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's get into it. I've been looking at what's coming up for Boneyards, and while it's not a total washout, it's gonna take some patience to score a decent wave. The overall picture is up and down, with a lot of wind to deal with before things tidy up.
First off, the water temp at Boneyards is sitting at 57.6°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a good wetsuit.
Looking at the start of the window, around Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th, we've got a messy combo. There's a weak 4.3ft SW swell with a 12-second period on Monday morning, but the wind is a strong 18.6 mph cross-shore from the north, making it lumpy. The combined swell energy is weak (583). Later Monday and into Tuesday, the swell jumps, but wind stays awful, hitting 24.9 mph from the NNW, tearing it all up. No good.
Wednesday the 16th is where things start looking a bit more interesting. It’s still not perfect, but the wind shifts to a clean cross-off from the SSE. The waves are picking up too. Wednesday morning we've got a solid 8.2ft swell from the SW at 13 seconds, with strong combined wave energy (4111). The commentary says clean but the quality is only marginal due to tide. This swell is getting big though – well over 8ft, so that's expert territory only at this reef. Wednesday afternoon drops to 6.6ft, still clean but windy.
Thursday the 17th is frustrating. The waves are still 7.9ft from the SW in the morning, clean, but a screaming 28.0 mph cross-off wind means the face is going to be tough to paddle into. That wind stays strong through the end of the week.
For a standout, I'd have to look further ahead to Monday the 28th of September. The morning session looks like the pick of the entire 16-day run. We get a 4.6ft SW groundswell (13-second period) with gentle 9.3 mph offshore winds from the ESE. The water is going to be glassy, and the combined energy is a solid (1126). The forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and with that long-period groundswell, Boneyards as a reef break should handle it beautifully. This is where you want to be.
A couple of days later on Tuesday the 29th, we get another good one. The morning and afternoon both show 3.6ft SW swell with glassy conditions (3.1 mph wind from the NNW turning SE). That's clean, pushable surf, even if it's on the smaller side. The afternoon gets a score of "very good surf conditions".
So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is mostly blown out or too windy for comfort. Don't bother until at least the 20th, but you're waiting until Monday the 28th for the real highlight.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SE on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the SE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | NW 7 | NW 6 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
473 | 312 | 340 | 390 | 1194 | 4574 | 2567 | 1465 | 1972 | 1550 | 1193 | 770 | 544 | 1086 | 946 | 570 | 760 | 669 | 1167 | 1198 | 727 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:59PM1.53m | 5:18AM1.35m | 5:29PM1.40m | 5:49AM1.24m | 5:59PM1.27m | 6:22AM1.13m | 6:35PM1.13m | 7:07AM1.01m | 7:27PM1.00m | 8:44AM0.91m | 9:34PM0.93m | 11:22AM0.95m | 11:39PM0.99m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:49AM0.16m | 11:15PM0.17m | 11:18AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 11:47AM0.38m | 00:14AM0.41m | 12:19PM0.50m | 00:52AM0.53m | 1:01PM0.63m | 2:01AM0.64m | 2:52PM0.73m | 4:47AM0.65m | 5:46PM0.68m | ||||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:38 | — | — | 6:38 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
473 | 268 | 250 | 205 | 1194 | 4574 | 2567 | 1465 | 1972 | 1550 | 1193 | 770 | 544 | 1086 | 946 | 570 | 760 | 669 | 1167 | 1198 | 727 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SW 18 | SE 13 | NNW 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 12 | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SE 10 | ESE 11 | SE 12 | SSW 5 |
90 | 68 | 27 | 192 | 7 | 35 | 990 | 839 | 446 | — | — | — | 301 | — | 203 | 350 | 134 | 44 | 45 | 34 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ESE 13 | — | ESE 13 | ESE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 7 |
— | — | — | 16 | — | 33 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | SSW 9 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | — |
107 | 312 | 340 | 390 | 861 | — | 660 | 83 | 331 | 391 | 391 | 363 | 384 | 572 | 679 | 932 | 820 | 160 | 98 | 80 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 67 | 67 | 32 | 235 | 235 | 162 | 349 | 200 | 48 | 49 | 258 | 203 | 203 | 1433 | 40 | 25 | 25 | 40 | 200 | 429 | 48 |
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.










