
Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with 4,407 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s 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 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 14s 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) 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 3.0m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, gather 'round. Rusty here with a look at what Boneyards has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a classic reef setup, exposed to the west, so when the swell lines up it can be a gem, but it’s inconsistent and can be a bit of a tease.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things are gonna build into something pretty special for the experienced crew.
The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about normal for this time of year, so grab the 4/3 and you'll be right.
The first couple of days are a write-off. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are blown out by a screaming 28-31 mph SE wind. Sure, it’s offshore, but it's a gale – you won’t be able to paddle out, and getting in won't be any fun. There's plenty of energy in the water (967 and 2038), but it's all for naught with that wind.
Now, Sunday the 13th is your standout. Finally. The wind drops right off to a gentle offshore breeze of just 9-16 mph from the ESE. The swell from the SW is a solid 7 ft to 6 ft, with a nice long 14-second period. The energy is still significant (1665), but it’s clean and powerful. This is prime Boneyards. The reef will be handling that SW groundswell beautifully, giving up some fast, hollow lines. With a 14-second period, you’ll get long lulls between sets, which makes the paddle out easier, but don’t be lulled to sleep – when the set comes, it’s on. This is excellent, but for experienced surfers only. If you’re not confident in overhead, powerful reef waves, sit this one out.
Monday the 14th turns nasty again with a strong cross-onshore wind from the NNW whipping up a messy, 10 ft closeout. Tuesday and Wednesday are similarly blown out with strong cross-onshore winds, though Wednesday the 16th Wednesday morning cleans up a bit with a cross-off wind, offering 8 ft of SW swell (3510 energy) but it’s still marginal and likely lumpy.
The pattern stays similar through to Thursday the 18th – clean but lumpy, with strong offshore winds making it hard work. The energy is high, but it’s not relaxed surfing.
Then we get another window. Sunday the 21st and Monday the 22nd look promising. The wind goes light, with a gentle cross-off breeze on Sunday and barely a puff on Monday. Swell stays a comfortable 5 ft from the WSW with a nice 13-14 second period. Energy is moderate (under 900), but the conditions will be smooth. This is a great window for a broader range of surfers, not just the hardcore crew.
Tuesday the 22nd gets smoked by strong to near-gale offshore winds again.
And then, for the long-range punters, Wednesday the 23rd of September looks like another absolute belter. We’re looking at clean, moderate offshore wind from the ESE with a solid 8-8 ft of SW groundswell running on a 14-second period. Energy is pumping at over 2000. This is another one for the experienced crew – big, clean, powerful reef waves. The direction is spot on for Boneyards. It’s a long way out, so don’t book the time off just yet, but keep it on the radar.
After that, it fades back into lumpy, onshore wind for the rest of the run. So to sum it up: hold fire until Sunday the 13th for the real deal, then keep an eye on Sunday the 21st and especially Wednesday the 23rd for more clean, powerful reef surfing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Mon morning, light winds from the NNW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
967 | 789 | 475 | 2038 | 3525 | 2792 | 1665 | 1119 | 663 | 569 | 595 | 276 | 442 | 3569 | 3669 | 1987 | 1073 | 666 | 537 | 383 | 2323 | |
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 | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 6:22AM1.13m | 6:35PM1.13m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:19PM0.50m | 00:52AM0.53m | |||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 7 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 |
967 | 789 | 475 | 2038 | 3525 | 2792 | 1665 | 1119 | 663 | 374 | 349 | 241 | 144 | 3569 | 3669 | 1987 | 1073 | 666 | 537 | 383 | 2323 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SW 12 | ESE 13 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 19 |
— | — | 289 | — | — | — | — | — | 279 | 99 | 29 | 26 | 224 | 17 | 499 | 511 | 961 | 519 | 240 | 228 | 234 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | — | NNW 6 | ESE 11 | — | — | — | SW 15 | — |
— | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 16 | 12 | 442 | — | 33 | 13 | — | — | — | 322 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 9 | NNW 5 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | — | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
533 | 798 | 742 | 930 | 861 | 696 | 625 | 846 | 63 | 569 | 595 | 276 | 255 | 118 | — | 112 | 153 | 189 | 287 | 455 | 350 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 411 | 25 | 25 | 36 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 235 | 186 | 10 | 186 | 235 | 0 | 161 | 52 | 3 | 25 | 390 | 49 |
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.










