
Surf Forecasts:
Dumps surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,555 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dumps this week:
The surf forecast for Dumps over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Dumps in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) 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 0.4m 11s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dumps over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, g'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks. We've got a bit of a slow start, but there's a proper run of solid swell building in, with a few standout days for the experienced crew.
We kick off on Monday 3 August with clean, glassy conditions at Dumps. The water is a cool 56° and that's 4° colder than usual for this time of year, so it's a fair bit chillier than you'd expect. The swell is a nice 5 ft from the SW, a solid 13-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (865). The wind is a light, glassy 3 mph from the ENE, so it'll be as rippled as a mirror. This is a good, clean start to the week—a solid option for intermediates.
Tuesday 4 August keeps that clean vibe going. Morning glass again with 4 ft SW swell, and the period is still a decent 11 seconds. The combined energy is a bit lighter (458), but with offshore winds, it'll be a fun session. The afternoon is also glassy with 4 ft SW swell. Good stuff.
Now, Wednesday 5 August and Thursday 6 August take a sharp turn. The wind picks up strong from the NNW on Wednesday, blowing 12 mph cross-on, and the swell jumps to 7 ft, then 8 ft in the afternoon. That's a lot of energy (2224 and 2535), but the cross-onshore chop will ruin it. Then Thursday 6 August, the swell hits 10 ft with a strong 13-second period from the WSW, and the combined energy is very strong (3447). The wind is offshore from the SE, only 6 mph, so conditions will be clean. This is big, powerful surf—experts only. Friday 7 August keeps the size: 10 ft in the morning, 12 ft in the afternoon from the SW, with a 14-second period. The wind is light cross-off in the morning, then cross-shore in the afternoon. The afternoon swell is predicted to be too big for this break, so stick to the morning if you're an expert.
After that, we get a bit of a lull. Saturday 8 August is still big (8 ft) but with a cross-onshore wind, so it's marginal. Sunday 9 August has strong winds (25 mph!) from the SSE, which will be off-shore but the raw power of 10 ft swell will be a handful. The wind will be cleaning it up, but it's a wild day.
Things settle down from Monday 10 August. The swell drops to 5 ft, and the wind is a gentle 9 mph from the SE, keeping it clean. Tuesday 11 August is a hidden gem: a glassy morning with 5 ft S swell (12 seconds) and low energy (758). It'll be clean and fun. Wednesday 12 August has a very interesting swell: a 5 ft WSW swell with an incredibly long 21-second period from the WSW, and the combined energy is strong (1268). The afternoon is flat calm (0 mph wind) and glassy, with 5 ft of that long-period groundswell. That's a special session for the experienced, and it'll be breaking nicely at sandbars.
Now, the real standout for the fortnight is the period from Thursday 13 August to Saturday 15 August. This is a prolonged run of big, powerful, clean swell. Thursday 13 August has 12 ft at 16 seconds from the WSW, with a massive combined energy of 5728. The wind is a light 6 mph from the SSE, keeping it clean. The forecast says this swell is too big for the break, so it's for experts only. Friday 14 August has 10 ft with a 14-second period, still clean. Saturday 15 August pushes back to 12 ft with a 14-second period (4477 energy), but the wind picks up to 12 mph, still cross-off, so it's a wild day.
After that, Sunday 16 August through Monday 17 August sees the swell drop back to 5 ft-7 ft but with strong winds (16-22 mph), so it's messy and marginal. Then Tuesday 18 August brings a last hurrah: 8 ft from the WSW with a 12-second period, light offshore wind from the ESE at 6 mph, and clean conditions. That's a solid finisher.
Overall, the best day on offer is Wednesday 12 August for the rare, long-period groundswell and glassy conditions. The second standout is Thursday 6 August for the first big, clean, offshore swell. Both are expert-level.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
629 | 499 | 542 | 422 | 293 | 301 | 2157 | 2483 | 4153 | 3447 | 2631 | 3569 | 3835 | 4242 | 3606 | 2063 | 2305 | 3587 | 2341 | 1769 | 876 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:14PM1.69m | 6:33AM1.50m | 6:56PM1.63m | 7:21AM1.42m | 7:48PM1.55m | 8:24AM1.33m | 8:57PM1.47m | 9:53AM1.28m | 10:28PM1.43m | 11:34AM1.33m | 00:01AM1.47m | 12:52PM1.45m | 1:12AM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:53AM0.43m | 00:29AM0.47m | 12:31PM0.50m | 1:17AM0.54m | 1:19PM0.59m | 2:18AM0.62m | 2:24PM0.69m | 3:42AM0.67m | 4:01PM0.74m | 5:18AM0.64m | 5:45PM0.70m | 6:36AM0.56m | 7:03PM0.59m | ||||||||
7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
— | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 24 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 17 | 23 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 |
629 | 499 | 542 | 422 | 293 | 144 | 2157 | 2483 | 4153 | 3447 | 2631 | 3569 | 3835 | 4242 | 3606 | 2063 | 2305 | 3587 | 2341 | 1769 | 876 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | W 11 | SW 15 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | S 10 |
236 | 324 | 109 | 24 | 82 | 301 | 60 | 25 | — | — | 304 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 379 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SW 18 | SW 16 | W 10 | ESE 10 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
38 | 35 | 12 | 12 | 40 | 98 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 3 | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 2 | — | — | — | 7 | 25 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 25 | 173 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 4 | 109 | 1410 | 48 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
Information about the Dumps Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Dumps provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Dumps can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Dumps 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 (Dumps) 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 Dumps 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 Dumps, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cape Town, consider staying in Cape Town which is 6 km (4 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 14 km (9 miles) away, Robben Island, Kayamnandi and Stellenbosch.











