Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,881 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 11s. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2AM. 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 7s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up at Boneyards.
This is one of those stretches where you've got to pick your moments. The water's sitting at 58°, which is a bit colder than what you'd expect for this time of year, so a decent 4/3 is non-negotiable.
The week kicks off on Saturday the 29th of August with a messy 7ft SW swell, but that cross-shore wind is going to put a chop on it, so nothing worth getting excited about. Sunday the 30th sees the swell bump up to 8ft from the SW, but with a 12-second period. The wind turns cross-offshore, cleaning things up a bit, but the surf is still in a marginal state. Monday the 31st is similar but the swell drops a notch to 7ft. It's still just okay.
Now, Tuesday the 1st of September is where things get interesting. We've got a solid 8ft SW swell pushing in, but the period jumps to 13 seconds, meaning real groundswell energy. The combined energy is pumping at (2340). The wind is light cross-shore, so there's a bit of texture but nothing horrible. By the afternoon, the swell builds to 10ft with that same long 13-second period and the wind goes light, nearly glassy. This is the first real window of good, powerful surf, but 10ft is getting into expert territory. This reef can handle it, but don't be a hero if you're not ready.
The standout of the whole run looks like Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning brings a 12ft SW swell with a long 14-second period. The combined energy is massive at (3866). Winds are clean cross-offshore from the SE. This is big, powerful, and clean. Definitely for experienced surfers only. If you're comfortable in that size, this is the best it gets in the first week. The afternoon stays solid at 10ft but the wind picks up a bit.
Thursday the 3rd of September goes downhill fast. The swell drops, but the wind goes howling offshore at 31 mph or more. It's clean but basically impossible to paddle into, so it's a day to watch, not surf. Friday the 4th is even worse, with gale-force winds. The swell bottoms out to under 3ft over the weekend, so don't bother.
The second week sees a real reset. Sunday the 6th of September morning looks promising again. The swell is back to a clean 5ft from the SW with a fantastic 14-second period, and the wind is light offshore. Combined energy is a moderate (1051). The file calls this "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and I can see why. That long period needs to line up at the reef for it to really work, but the potential is there for some proper waves.
After that, it's a bit of a mixed bag with smaller surf in the 3ft to 5ft range through to the 9th. The winds stay mostly offshore or cross-offshore, so conditions remain clean, but the size is lacking.
Then we get another promising window starting Thursday the 10th of September afternoon. The swell pushes back up to 7ft from the WSW with a 14-second period. Combined energy is (1634). The wind is light and cross-offshore. This is good.
But the real highlight of the second week looks like Friday the 11th of September. The morning has a clean 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is already solid at (1722). By the afternoon, it builds to 7ft with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy jumps to a massive (3441). The wind is a moderate cross-offshore breeze. This is a long-period groundswell that will wrap beautifully into the reef. Sets will be powerful with long waits between them, but the shape should be excellent. This is a standout, but it's more than a week away so treat it with a bit of caution.
Saturday the 12th stays solid with 8ft SW swell, but the wind gets stronger, and by Sunday the 13th it's fading out and getting blown out by a fresh breeze.
To sum it up: if you're an experienced surfer, you've got two standout windows. The first is Wednesday the 2nd of September for big, clean, powerful waves. The second is Friday the 11th of September afternoon for a super long-period groundswell on a clean reef. Boneyards is an inconsistent spot, so when it fires, you need to be on it. Crowds are possible, but on these bigger days, a lot of people will be intimidated. Get out there and earn it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Sun morning, light winds from the S by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue night, min 12°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Tue night, gales from the SE by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | S 8 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1206 | 2172 | 1769 | 1316 | 1103 | 932 | 1473 | 2474 | 3174 | 4881 | 4141 | 3180 | 1885 | 1081 | 675 | 399 | 694 | 543 | 406 | |
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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 4:15AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:22AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | 6:01AM1.31m | 6:18PM1.41m | 6:48AM1.20m | 7:10PM1.28m | 7:55AM1.08m | 8:30PM1.15m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.07m | 10:45PM0.08m | 10:48AM0.11m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:21AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | 11:59AM0.28m | 00:39AM0.30m | 12:46PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.42m | 1:54PM0.53m | 3:14AM0.51m | ||||||
— | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
6:25 | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 |
545 | 2172 | 1769 | 1316 | 1103 | 932 | 1473 | 2474 | 3174 | 4881 | 4141 | 3180 | 1885 | 1081 | 655 | 399 | 694 | 543 | 406 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | — | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 |
1206 | 22 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | 42 | 69 | 65 | 32 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | — | — |
40 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 68 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 |
— | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 139 | 481 | 675 | 604 | 493 | 531 | 509 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 52 | 52 | 349 | 47 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 465 | 675 | 1045 | 1246 | 2837 | 14 |
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.











