
Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 7,665 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s 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 (Jul 21) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Boneyards in the next 16 days are 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) 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 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks at Boneyards.
First up, don't get too excited for the immediate future. Sunday afternoon is a write-off – junk surf with onshore winds and weak energy. The next couple of days are barely worth a mention, with choppy, marginal conditions. You'll be waiting until Tuesday morning, 21 July to see some real potential.
That Tuesday morning is the first real standout. We're looking at a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a long 14-second period, and the wind is dead calm – glassy. The combined energy is strong (2452), so there's plenty of power, but this is strictly for experienced surfers. That size and period will be breaking hard and fast, so leave the foamies at home. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.
The swell builds into Tuesday afternoon, hitting 10ft from the SW with a 13-second period, and the wind swings to a light cross-offshore, keeping things clean. The energy jumps up to 2736. It's a powerful, clean afternoon, but again, only for those with the skills.
After a couple of days of onshore chop, the real gem of the whole forecast lands on Friday morning, 24 July. A 12ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and a moderate offshore breeze from the SE. This is as clean as it gets, and the energy is pumping at a massive 4692. This is the best on offer. It's big, powerful, and perfect. Experts only.
The swell drops slightly over the weekend, but remains excellent. Saturday morning, 25 July, has a 8ft SW swell with offshore winds, plenty of energy (1878). Sunday morning, 26 July, is another glassy affair with a 7ft SW swell (1145 energy). Good waves for the strong intermediates and up.
The end of the first week and into the second week gets tricky. Monday and Tuesday of the following week see strong to gale-force offshore winds. While this keeps the waves clean, those winds make paddling out a nightmare. The swell is still solid, with plenty of energy, but it's a battle. The standout here is Thursday morning, 30 July, which has a 5ft long-period (15s) swell under strong offshore winds – very clean but hard work.
Moving into August, the first weekend looks promising. Saturday, 1 August, has a 4ft to 6ft SW groundswell with a very long 15-second period, light winds, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate to strong. Then Sunday, 2 August, is another glassy morning with a 8ft, 15-second groundswell and huge energy (2627). That's a big, clean, long-period groundswell – perfect for this reef. The following Monday, 3 August, is also glassy in the morning with a 7ft swell (1437 energy). These are all excellent, but remember, Boneyards is an inconsistent spot, so when it fires, you'd better be ready. Crowds are sometimes a factor here, so expect company.
So, the clear winner is Friday, 24 July – that is the one to circle on the calendar. The second week has some excellent, clean options, particularly the mornings of 2 and 3 August, but these are further out, so keep an eye on the forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri night, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
924 | 1156 | 508 | 176 | 463 | 2413 | 2722 | 1908 | 1500 | 1298 | 843 | 1069 | 791 | 7665 | 4692 | 3206 | 2063 | 1878 | 1494 | 1169 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 7:00PM1.42m | 7:22AM1.17m | 7:44PM1.31m | 8:13AM1.07m | 8:36PM1.19m | 9:20AM1.00m | 9:43PM1.11m | 10:47AM0.97m | 11:05PM1.08m | 12:11PM1.01m | 00:19AM1.11m | 1:10PM1.09m | 1:14AM1.17m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:24AM0.34m | 1:20PM0.39m | 2:13AM0.43m | 2:08PM0.51m | 3:14AM0.51m | 3:12PM0.60m | 4:33AM0.55m | 4:46PM0.64m | 5:57AM0.53m | 6:15PM0.61m | 6:59AM0.47m | 7:15PM0.54m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | |
5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
924 | 1156 | 508 | 176 | 107 | 2413 | 2722 | 1908 | 1500 | 1298 | 843 | 1069 | 791 | 7665 | 4692 | 3206 | 2063 | 1878 | 1494 | 1169 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | W 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 16 | SE 11 | — | SE 10 |
73 | 85 | 125 | 147 | 463 | 39 | 31 | 30 | 72 | 108 | 228 | 149 | 367 | 36 | 34 | 5 | 348 | 5 | — | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | W 10 | SW 12 | SE 11 | W 9 | — | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | SE 11 | — | — | — |
33 | 23 | 22 | 120 | 244 | 60 | 14 | — | 11 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 469 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 3 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | NNW 4 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 |
— | — | 1 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 46 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 47 | 43 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 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.










