Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 20s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,908 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 20s period with SW 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 20s. 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 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 20s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 20s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. We’re looking at a 16-day window and, honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burner at Boneyards. The start of the period is rough – Thursday and Friday, the 13th and 14th of August, the wind is a mess, cross and cross-onshore, making for bumpy, choppy conditions. Not worth paddling out for. Saturday the 15th is where we start to see some light. The wind swings around to a light cross-offshore, cleaning things right up, and we’ve got a solid 6ft swell rolling in from the WSW with a nice 13-second period. Combined swell energy is moderate at best (1300), but the wave quality should be there. Both morning and afternoon look clean, with that cross-off breeze. This is the first real standout.
But the true gem? That’s got to be Monday the 17th. Glassy conditions in the morning, dead calm, with an 8ft swell from the WSW and a 13-second period. That’s a powerful groundswell, pushing strong to very strong wave energy (2528). It’s a solid step up in size – definitely not for beginners, but for experienced surfers, this is the moment. The wind is absolute zero, the swell has grunt, and Boneyards, with its reef setup, will handle that long-period energy well. That morning session is the pick of the whole outlook by a long shot.
After that, things back off. The wind gets messy again mid-week, and by the 20th, we’ve got a strong offshore breeze that makes the waves hard to get into, even if they are clean. The swell drops right down to 4ft to 5ft.
From the 21st to the 23rd, it’s a mixed bag. The 22nd (Saturday) has another chance – a 7ft SW swell with 14-second period and clean cross-off winds in the afternoon. That’s another good window for experienced surfers, with moderate wave energy (1789) backing it up. But again, size and power mean it’s not for the faint of heart.
The last week drops off significantly. Swell hangs around 4ft to 5ft with fresh to strong offshores that make paddling tough. It’s clean, but small and hard work. Right at the very end, on the 28th (Friday morning), we get one more big pulse: a 10ft WSW swell with a 15-second period, glassy conditions, and very strong wave energy (4807). That’s a huge set, for experts only, and it’s over two weeks out, so a bit of a long-range tease. Keep an eye on that one.
Right now, if you’re paddling out, the best bet is Saturday the 15th for some fun, clean waves, or I’d be waiting for that glassy Monday the 17th for the real juice. Boneyards is an inconsistent reef, so when it fires, you want to be there. And for a spot that’s sometimes crowded, those clean days could draw a few heads.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat night, min 14°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 21 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1892 | 3782 | 2535 | 1832 | 1475 | 1257 | 1244 | 1267 | 1384 | 1286 | 1399 | 1965 | 2560 | 2528 | 1945 | 1401 | 794 | 599 | 739 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | on | on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:29AM1.56m | 3:53PM1.68m | 4:09AM1.56m | 4:29PM1.69m | 4:46AM1.51m | 5:05PM1.64m | 5:21AM1.43m | 5:39PM1.55m | 5:56AM1.33m | 6:12PM1.43m | 6:31AM1.21m | 6:47PM1.29m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:27PM0.05m | 9:40AM-0.01m | 10:08PM0.02m | 10:16AM-0.00m | 10:46PM0.04m | 10:51AM0.05m | 11:22PM0.10m | 11:24AM0.14m | 11:56PM0.19m | 11:56AM0.25m | 00:31AM0.30m | 12:29PM0.38m | 1:08AM0.42m | ||||||
— | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
6:14 | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 |
1892 | 3782 | 2535 | 1832 | 1475 | 1257 | 1244 | 1267 | 1384 | 1286 | 1399 | 1965 | 2560 | 2528 | 1945 | 1401 | 794 | 599 | 739 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WSW 7 | SE 4 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | W 17 | — | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 |
1875 | 202 | 98 | 39 | 30 | 30 | 40 | 33 | 67 | 5 | 19 | 9 | 293 | — | 186 | 299 | 379 | 455 | 349 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | — | NNW 7 | — | — | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | — | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | ESE 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 |
238 | — | 26 | — | — | — | 35 | 28 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 5 | — | — | ESE 9 | — | — | WNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 |
917 | — | — | 14 | 43 | 57 | — | — | 29 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 162 | 349 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











