
Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 12s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 6,152 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Boneyards in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) 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 3.0m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Boneyards has cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right now, there’s a solid pulse of swell in the water, and it’s not going anywhere fast. We’ve got a long run of surf, but the wind is going to be the real story here. The water is sitting at 59°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so don’t forget the booties if you’re heading out.
Things kick off on Thursday morning with a clean 8ft SW swell, period around 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy is pumping at 2590 (moderate to strong). The wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 12 mph, keeping the face reasonably clean. It’s not perfect, but it’s rideable for intermediate surfers. The swell stays solid through Friday morning, but the wind picks up hard – 25 mph offshore from the SE. That makes it clean but a real battle to paddle into, especially with the swell dropping to 6ft. Friday afternoon is pretty much a write-off with 28 mph winds. Saturday sees a jump back up to 7ft in the morning and 8ft by the afternoon, with that long 15-16 second period. The offshore wind is strong again, so it’s clean but you’ll be working for every wave. The combined energy hits 3569 on Saturday afternoon – that’s some serious grunt.
Sunday morning is your first real standout. The swell is still a solid 7ft from the SW at 14 seconds, but the wind drops to a more manageable 19 mph offshore. The combined energy is 1485 (moderate), and conditions are clean. If you’re an experienced surfer, Sunday morning is looking like the best call of the first week. Sunday afternoon holds with lighter winds and a 6ft swell, still clean.
Then we hit a rough patch. Monday through Tuesday the wind swings cross-on from the NNW, and the surf gets lumpy and messy. The swell drops and then spikes again on Tuesday afternoon to 7ft, but with 28 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s just a washing machine. Not worth it.
Wednesday the 16th brings a return to cleaner conditions. The swell is back up to 8ft in the morning, pushing 10ft by the afternoon from the SSW, with combined energy over 3900. The wind is cross-off from the SSE, 16-22 mph. It’s a lot of swell, probably only for the experts, but it’s clean.
Looking further out, there’s a couple of glimmers. The 17th brings a drop to 5ft with a moderate offshore breeze – clean and paddleable. But the real beauty sits on the morning of Saturday the 19th. The wind goes dead calm, glassy, with a 7ft WSW groundswell rolling in at 16 seconds. Combined energy is 2509 (moderate to strong). That’s an excellent window for experienced surfers, smooth take-offs and clean lines. That is the standout of the entire outlook.
Sunday the 20th morning holds a big 10ft SW swell at 17 seconds, combined energy over 6000 (very strong), with a cross-off breeze. That is big, powerful, and only for the brave. By the afternoon the wind picks up to 31 mph, so get in early or leave it.
Through the last week, the swell fades but the winds stay mostly offshore, keeping things clean. The 22nd and 23rd have smaller, cleaner waves in the 4ft to 4ft range, fine for a longboard or a fun shortboard session. The very last day, Friday the 25th, offers a glassy morning with a 3ft SW swell, then a gentle offshore wind in the afternoon with a 4ft swell and a long 15-second period. That afternoon session has excellent potential for experienced surfers again, with combined energy at 1087 (moderate). It’s a nice way to finish the run.
Overall, you’ve got a long window of surf here, but the wind is the gatekeeper. The 19th morning is the pick of the bunch for a clean, powerful session. The 25th afternoon is a sleeper for a smaller, clean, glassy end to the run. Crowds can pop up at Boneyards (reef), so keep an eye out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Thu morning, strong winds from the SE by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 43mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Sun night, strong winds from the NNW by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | NNW 8 | SW 19 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2590 | 1859 | 1383 | 919 | 710 | 366 | 2038 | 3569 | 2416 | 1485 | 1044 | 663 | 473 | 349 | 476 | 608 | 2241 | 5846 | 2448 | 3297 | 913 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 2:52PM1.65m | 3:10AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:16AM1.51m | 4:29PM1.62m | 4:47AM1.44m | 4:59PM1.53m | 5:18AM1.35m | 5:29PM1.40m | 5:49AM1.24m | 5:59PM1.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:41AM0.05m | 9:08PM0.01m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:42PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.08m | 10:49AM0.16m | 11:15PM0.17m | 11:18AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 11:47AM0.38m | 00:14AM0.41m | |||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | |
— | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 12 |
2590 | 1859 | 1383 | 919 | 710 | 366 | 2038 | 3569 | 2416 | 1485 | 1044 | 663 | 473 | 349 | 254 | 303 | 2241 | 5846 | 2448 | 3297 | 913 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SW 19 | ESE 13 | NNW 7 | SW 9 | WSW 13 | W 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | 293 | — | — | — | — | — | 230 | 114 | 64 | 41 | 608 | 17 | 76 | 548 | 617 | 573 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | — | E 11 | SSW 12 |
— | — | — | — | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 92 | 26 | — | 2 | 169 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 6 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NW 4 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 6 | — | SSW 9 | SE 7 | SE 6 |
— | — | 149 | 451 | 691 | 627 | 610 | 1132 | 1165 | 569 | 393 | 14 | 161 | 311 | 476 | 282 | 232 | — | 1294 | 127 | 172 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 40 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 971 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 176 | 13 | 67 | 186 | 235 | 36 | 349 | 15 | 0 |
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.










