
Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 4,681 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period with SSW 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Boneyards in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what we've got.
We're looking at a bit of a slow burn this week. The first few days are more about waiting for the right conditions than scoring perfect waves, with strong winds making things tricky. But there's some serious size and power on the horizon.
Let’s break it down.
Sunday, August 9th kicks things off, but it's a bit of a write-off. Boneyards is seeing a 12ft SW swell, but the wind is a strong 28 mph cross-off. The water's clean, but that's a lot of breeze to deal with. The combined swell energy is very high (6111), but the conditions are marginal at best. Definitely not the day for a beginner.
Monday, August 10th sees the swell dropping, but the wind stays strong from the SE, 25 mph. It's clean, but that offshore wind is so strong it'll be a battle to get out. Not recommended.
Tuesday, August 11th is where we start to see a change. The wind drops to a moderate breeze from the E and SE, going offshore. The swell is a smaller 4ft to 6ft from the SSW, with a nice 12-second period giving the waves some shape. The energy is moderate (853 to 959). It's not huge, but it'll be clean and fun for a paddle.
Wednesday, August 12th is a proper standout. The morning has a light ENE cross-off with a 6ft SW swell, but the real magic is the afternoon. It turns glassy with a 7ft SW groundswell at a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is very strong (2634). This is for experienced surfers, as that long period will make the waves powerful and a bit shifty at a reef like Boneyards. It’s going to be clean, lined-up, and the best session of the first week.
Thursday, August 13th and Friday, August 14th see the swell holding around 6ft to 8ft, but the wind swings around, creating some cross-shore chop and less ideal conditions. It’s surfable, but not as clean as Wednesday.
Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August16th are a mixed bag with cross-onshore winds, making for choppy conditions. The swell is still there at 6ft to 7ft, but it won’t be pretty.
Monday, August 17th is the big one. We're looking at a massive 12ft WSW swell with a 16-second period, and the morning is *glassy* with a light SSW wind. The combined energy is exceptional (5464). This is expert territory only. It's going to be big, powerful, and absolutely pumping at Boneyards, but only if you've got the skill and the nerve. This is the real standout of the whole 16-day window.
Tuesday, August 18th stays clean with a lighter cross-off breeze and a 6ft to 7ft WSW swell, offering a solid follow-up session with moderate energy (1087 to 1469).
After that, the forecast gets a bit more unsettled. Wednesday, August 19th brings a cross-on breeze and a 10ft SW swell with a short 10-second period, making it choppy. The rest of the week into the weekend looks inconsistent, with wind and average conditions. The 22nd of August looks particularly poor with strong onshore winds and a 10ft lumpy swell.
Overall, Wednesday the 12th afternoon is the pick for the experienced surfer looking for clean, glassy conditions on a solid swell. But if you're an expert and want the biggest, most powerful day, you're looking at Monday the 17th morning. Get ready.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Mon night, light winds from the SE by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
4020 | 3622 | 3301 | 2116 | 1615 | 574 | 1989 | 787 | 483 | 1983 | 2370 | 2570 | 2506 | 3954 | 3037 | 1608 | 1275 | 1206 | 1344 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:55PM1.25m | 12:49PM1.22m | 1:05AM1.35m | 1:45PM1.37m | 2:00AM1.45m | 2:32PM1.51m | 2:47AM1.53m | 3:14PM1.62m | 3:29AM1.56m | 3:53PM1.68m | 4:09AM1.56m | 4:29PM1.69m | 4:46AM1.51m | ||||||
Low Tide | 6:33AM0.34m | 6:57PM0.39m | 7:32AM0.21m | 7:55PM0.25m | 8:20AM0.10m | 8:44PM0.13m | 9:02AM0.02m | 9:27PM0.05m | 9:40AM-0.01m | 10:08PM0.02m | 10:16AM-0.00m | 10:46PM0.04m | |||||||
— | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
6:10 | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 20 |
Feels °C | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SSW 11 | S 18 | SSW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SE 8 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
4020 | 2489 | — | 2116 | 6 | 574 | 1989 | 787 | 483 | 335 | 2370 | 2570 | 2506 | 3954 | 3037 | 1608 | 1275 | 1206 | 1344 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SW 21 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | SE 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | 317 | 66 | 40 | 455 | 1983 | 156 | 100 | 1149 | 84 | 54 | 32 | 26 | 24 | 55 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | — | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SE 8 | — | — | N 7 | SE 8 | SE 9 | NNW 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | 471 | — | 26 | 21 | 211 | 108 | 64 | 102 | — | — | 24 | 35 | 31 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 8 | SSW 11 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | — | — | N 7 | — | — | ESE 4 |
— | 3622 | 3301 | 276 | 1615 | 221 | 355 | 444 | 393 | 848 | — | 293 | 372 | — | — | 38 | — | — | 9 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 349 | 1433 | 40 | 203 | 49 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 12 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











