Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 4,012 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 Saturday (Aug 15) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Boneyards in the next 16 days are 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real action kicks off on Saturday the 15th at Boneyards. It's a reef break, and it's exposed, so it grabs whatever swell's thrown at it. The water's a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 57°. Come Saturday morning, the swell is a solid 6ft out of the WSW, with a long 14-second period – that's real groundswell energy pushing through. The combined swell energy is rippin' at 1261 (moderate wave energy). And the wind? Dead glassy. That's the kind of morning you set your alarm for. It's excellent for experienced surfers, but at 6ft, it's got some push, so not one for the grommets just yet. That afternoon the swell bumps up to 7ft, still clean with a light breeze, a solid afternoon session.
Sunday the 16th is a write-off. A strong northerly makes a mess of it, and by Monday the 17th, the swell’s pushing over 8ft with a messy cross-on wind. This is getting into big, lumpy territory – more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session unless you're a real expert and don't mind it choppy.
The following week is a bit of a mixed bag. Tuesday through Thursday (18th to 20th) see clean winds and consistent chest to head-high swell, but the scores aren't top-tier. The swell energy stays high, between 1400 and 1872, but the wave quality is just marginal. Still, there are waves to be had.
Now, here's a real standout. Friday the 21st of August. Morning at Boneyards is another glassy one, with a 6ft SW swell, 11-second period, and combined energy of 708. The wind is dead still, and the forecast says "expect very good surf conditions." That’s the one to circle. Glassy, chest-high, clean conditions. It'll be a beautiful morning.
After that, hold onto your board. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd sees a massive pulse of energy. Saturday the 22nd is huge – 15ft to 16ft of SW swell – but the wind is howling onshore. It's a beast but it's ugly. Sunday the 23rd is different. The wind swings cross-offshore, cleaning up a 13ft SW swell, and the energy is massive at 8899 (strong to very strong wave energy). That is expert-only territory. If you've got the nerve, that Sunday morning session could be a life-changer.
Monday the 24th keeps the power going with 10ft S swell and clean offshore winds. The energy is still massive at 5584. It's exceptional for experts. Tuesday the 25th then drops back to a manageable 7ft S swell with gentle offshore winds, a solid day for experienced surfers.
The final few days into the end of August start to fade a bit. A big onshore wind event on the 26th messes things up, but then Friday the 28th morning looks like another treat – glassy conditions with a 10ft SW swell, a long 14-second period, and very strong energy at 4029. For the brave, that's another perfect glassy window, but it's a big swell so experts only.
The last weekend of the month (29th and 30th) sees the swell drop back to smaller sizes, but the wind turns nasty onshore again, so it's a bit of a fizzle.
The standout pick: Saturday morning, August 15th (glassy, 6ft WSW) and Friday morning, August 21st (glassy, 6ft SW). For the big-wave crew, Sunday morning, August 23rd (cross-off, 13ft SW) is the one to watch from a distance. It's a long-range call, so less certain, but if it comes together, it's all-time.
Keep in mind Boneyards is a reef, so with these longer-period swells (over 15 seconds on some days), it might break a bit straight, but it should still offer up some gems.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat night, min 13°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1161 | 1652 | 1581 | 1667 | 2671 | 3848 | 2709 | 2279 | 1901 | 947 | 2555 | 2113 | 1638 | 1403 | 1187 | 1550 | 1550 | 1013 | 708 | 629 | 865 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 5:05PM1.64m | 5:21AM1.43m | 5:39PM1.55m | 5:56AM1.33m | 6:12PM1.43m | 6:31AM1.21m | 6:47PM1.29m | 7:10AM1.09m | 7:28PM1.15m | 8:04AM0.99m | 8:30PM1.04m | 9:46AM0.92m | 10:24PM0.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:51AM0.05m | 11:22PM0.10m | 11:24AM0.14m | 11:56PM0.19m | 11:56AM0.25m | 00:31AM0.30m | 12:29PM0.38m | 1:08AM0.42m | 1:05PM0.51m | 1:54AM0.54m | 1:55PM0.63m | 3:17AM0.62m | 3:49PM0.70m | ||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 |
1161 | 1652 | 1581 | 1667 | 2671 | 3848 | 2709 | 2279 | 1901 | 947 | 2555 | 2113 | 1638 | 1403 | 1187 | 1550 | 1550 | 1013 | 708 | 629 | 865 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | WSW 7 | SE 4 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | WSW 16 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
100 | 57 | 5 | 9 | — | — | — | 211 | 305 | 925 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 193 | 156 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | — | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | E 11 | E 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | WSW 5 |
16 | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | 65 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | NNW 4 | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | WNW 3 | WNW 4 |
— | — | — | 13 | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 20 | 31 | 32 | 89 | 117 | 182 | 107 | — | 3 | 52 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 32 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 411 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 32 |
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.











