Surf Forecasts:
Danger Reef surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,936 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with SSW 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Danger Reef in the next 16 days are 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 12s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Danger Reef over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down in feet and knots.
The next 16 days are all about Danger Reef, a reef break that can be fickle but rewarding. We start off slow on Sunday, July 12th. The first surf we see is 3.6ft from the SSW at 11 seconds. The wind is light onshore, making it a marginal session. Combined energy is weak at 438. Not worth rushing out.
Monday the 13th offers a clean, glassy morning with a 3.6ft southerly swell at 10 seconds. Afternoon stays glassy with 3.3ft from the south. Crowds are often here, so expect company. This is a fun, small-wave day.
Tuesday the 14th drops to 2.0ft from the SSE with offshore breezes. 9-second period and weak energy (103-101). Barely surfable.
Here comes the first standout: Wednesday the 15th. Morning: 4.3ft SW swell with a massive 16-second period. Light offshore wind, combined energy at 1021 (moderate). This is a proper groundswell – the reef will make it line up beautifully. Afternoon jumps to 7.9ft SW at 15 seconds, but a cross-onshore breeze messes with it. Energy is 2674, so there’s plenty of power, but not as clean.
Thursday the 16th is excellent. Morning: 7.2ft SW swell at 13 seconds, clean offshore winds, energy 1668. Afternoon: 5.9ft SW with cross-off breezes, clean and powerful at 1103.
Avoid Friday the 17th. Onshore winds at 18 knots with poor conditions. Swell runs 4.9-5.6ft but it’s a mess.
Saturday the 18th brings a glassy morning with 4.3ft SW at 14 seconds. Energy is 743. Clean and fun. Afternoon holds 3.9ft SW at 13 seconds.
Sunday the 19th shows 3.3-4.3ft SW swell with cross-off winds. Clean, fun conditions.
Monday the 20th is small – 2.3-2.6ft SW at 11-12 seconds. Clean, but weak.
Tuesday the 21st – morning: 5.9ft SSW at 16 seconds (very long period), cross-off winds, energy 2079. Afternoon is the pick: 6.9ft SSW at 16 seconds, clean offshore wind, energy 2459. Powerful and lined up for the experienced.
Wednesday the 22nd morning: 8.2ft SW at 14 seconds, glassy conditions, energy 2414. This is a standout clean, heavy session. The afternoon is 7.5ft with onshore wind.
Thursday the 23rd morning: 9.8ft from the WSW at 12 seconds, glassy, energy 3023. That’s big and clean but only for experts. Afternoon clocks in at a huge 16.4ft WSW at 13 seconds, onshore wind, energy at 13827. Massive but messy – looks like a kite-surf day.
Friday the 24th is the crown jewel. Morning: 14.8ft SW at 16 seconds, glassy, energy 9418. This is huge, clean, and powerful. Experts only. Afternoon: 13.1ft SW at 15 seconds with cross-onshore, energy 7629, still heavy but dirtier.
Saturday the 25th holds size – 9.8ft SW all day at 13-14 seconds. Offshore and cross-off winds keep it clean. Energy at 4091-4669. Only for the experienced.
Sunday the 26th is 8.2ft SW with stronger winds (15-21 knots). Cross-off gives it texture, energy 3276-3689. Crowds likely.
We close out Monday the 27th with 4.9-5.6ft SW at 14 seconds. Offshore winds in the afternoon, energy dropping to 1141-1489, still a clean session for the experienced.
Water temp is about 60°F, normal for the season. Danger Reef draws crowds
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the SE by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SE 7 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 256 | 176 | 223 | 175 | 113 | 61 | 62 | 108 | 865 | 2653 | 2708 | 1668 | 1103 | 1255 | 663 | 496 | 529 | 595 | 488 | 352 | 272 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:02AM1.49m | 2:40PM1.47m | 2:54AM1.55m | 3:28PM1.56m | 3:43AM1.56m | 4:12PM1.61m | 4:28AM1.54m | 4:56PM1.62m | 5:11AM1.48m | 5:38PM1.59m | 5:54AM1.39m | 6:19PM1.52m | 6:36AM1.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:53PM0.26m | 8:27AM0.09m | 8:48PM0.17m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:38PM0.10m | 9:59AM-0.00m | 10:25PM0.08m | 10:40AM0.01m | 11:11PM0.10m | 11:21AM0.07m | 11:55PM0.15m | 12:00PM0.16m | 00:39AM0.24m | 12:39PM0.27m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | |  | | |
 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | 5:57 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 12 |
| kJ | 256 | 176 | 223 | 175 | 113 | 100 | 96 | 81 | 865 | 2653 | 2708 | 1668 | 1103 | 1255 | 663 | 496 | 529 | 595 | 488 | 352 | 289 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | SSE 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SW 18 | SW 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 19 | SW 16 | S 10 | S 10 | WSW 14 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 58 | 88 | 30 | 25 | 98 | 61 | 62 | 108 | 156 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 65 | 148 | 175 | 265 | 272 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | WSW 10 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSE 8 | W 9 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | W 11 | W 11 | S 10 | S 11 |
| kJ | 36 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 42 | 39 | 23 | 56 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 52 | 57 | 85 | 133 | 110 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 146 | 174 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 58 | 80 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 23 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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