
Surf Forecasts:
Danger Reef surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 3,504 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Danger Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Danger Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Danger Reef in the next 16 days are 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Danger Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Short answer? It’s a rough start, and you’ll have to sit on your hands for a while. We’re looking at a long dry spell before anything worth paddling out for shows up, so patience is the name of the game here.
The first real chance of a wave comes in on Sunday, 13 September, but even then it’s a marginal call. The swell is up around 6 ft from the SW with a solid 14-second period, so there’s some decent energy in the water (combined energy value of 1748). But with a fresh onshore wind from the ESE, it’s never going to be clean. The break itself, Danger Reef, is a reef setup exposed to swell, best from the SE, so the SW direction isn’t ideal. It’s a fairly consistent spot that can handle a crowd, and crowds are possible here. Honestly, this one’s more about hope than a plan.
Things don’t get any better through the week. The wind stays onshore and the swell jumps up over 8 ft from Tuesday, 16 September onwards. That’s expert-only territory, and with those winds, it’s going to be a mess. Not your day.
But then, hold onto your board – there’s a genuine standout on Saturday, 19 September. The morning session is looking like the best of the whole run. We’ve got a 4 ft swell from the SW, and the wind is glassy – as in, almost dead calm, just a slight air. The combined energy is moderate (429), but the clean conditions will make every wave count. Still pretty small for the experts, but for the intermediate crew, it’s a gem. Crowds are possible, so get there early.
The following Monday, 21 September, also shapes up well. Another glassy morning, with a 4 ft SW swell, 14-second period (combined energy 583). That’s more solid, long-period groundswell that will wrap nicely into the reef. Again, it’s a small-scale session, but with those clean, glassy conditions, it’s a proper treat.
After that, the wind shifts back onshore and the swell drops off again. Winds become strong onshore around 28 mph by Tuesday, 22 September, with a short-period, choppy SSE swell – not worth the drive.
There is a flicker of hope further out on Thursday, 24 September. The morning offers a 5 ft SW swell and gentle offshore winds from the NNW. Combined energy is moderate (862), but the offshore breeze will groom it into clean lines. The afternoon holds similar: 5 ft from the SW with moderate offshore winds. It’s not massive, but it’s clean and surfable. That’s your second half of the month highlight if the earlier windows don’t work.
The last few days of the forecast – Saturday, 26 September – see a bump in size again with 8 ft to 8 ft from the SSE, short period around 10 seconds. But the wind is cross-shore and messy. For a reef break, that’s not ideal – this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Water temperature is sitting at 60°F, which is only 0.5°F cooler than average for this time of year – nothing unusual, just your typical cool water.
So, to wrap it up: the standout is Saturday, 19 September morning – glassy, small, clean. The Monday 21 September morning is a close second. Thursday 24 September offers the best chance for a slightly bigger, clean session later on. The rest? A whole lot of waiting.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Mon morning, light winds from the S 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) | SW 12 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SE 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 19 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
646 | 737 | 569 | 1326 | 2558 | 1850 | 1163 | 1019 | 431 | 252 | 232 | 155 | 170 | 1017 | 3051 | 2337 | 1750 | 993 | 865 | 1622 | 1173 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:26PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.69m | 4:16AM1.51m | 4:29PM1.63m | 4:47AM1.45m | 4:59PM1.53m | 5:18AM1.36m | 5:29PM1.40m | 5:48AM1.25m | 5:59PM1.27m | 6:22AM1.13m | 6:34PM1.13m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:16AM0.01m | 9:43PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.07m | 10:49AM0.16m | 11:15PM0.17m | 11:18AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 11:47AM0.38m | 00:14AM0.41m | 12:18PM0.50m | 00:52AM0.53m | |||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSE 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 7 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 13 |
646 | 448 | 239 | 1326 | 2558 | 1850 | 1163 | 733 | 216 | 252 | 232 | 155 | 86 | 1017 | 3051 | 2337 | 1750 | 993 | 865 | 1622 | 1173 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 14 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SW 11 | SE 13 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | — |
— | — | 167 | 51 | — | — | — | — | 431 | 97 | 59 | 26 | 133 | 7 | 648 | 143 | 342 | 168 | 393 | 418 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SSE 13 | — | SW 18 | SW 19 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SSW 18 | WSW 12 | W 12 | — |
— | — | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | 61 | 18 | — | 13 | 170 | 7 | 27 | 14 | 13 | 31 | 167 | 139 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | NNW 4 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 5 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | SE 6 |
533 | 737 | 569 | 444 | 728 | 823 | 585 | 1019 | 25 | 296 | 421 | 107 | 96 | 493 | — | — | — | — | — | 857 | 236 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 23 | 399 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 19 | 223 | 175 | 0 | 175 | 223 | 10 | 163 | 42 | 10 | 23 | 377 | 37 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Danger Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Danger Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Danger Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Danger Reef 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 (Danger Reef) 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 Danger Reef 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 Danger Reef, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cape Town, consider staying in Cape Town which is 20 km (12 miles) away. Other places in and around Cape Town where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Bellville which is 29 km (18 miles) away, Robben Island, Stellenbosch and Kayamnandi.










