
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 7,932 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 31 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Eerste Steen this week:
The surf forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Eerste Steen in the next 16 days are 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.
Eerste Steen is looking promising, but you’ve got to wait for the right windows. The water is running much colder than usual, about 2°F below normal, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit.
It starts on Friday morning, July 31st. A solid 4ft SW groundswell (12-second period) with a light east wind, cross-off, keeping it clean. The combined energy is moderate (436). The afternoon goes glassy with a light south wind. Saturday morning, August 1st, is a standout: 4ft SW swell, 14-second period, and an offshore ENE breeze at 6 mph. The energy is up (585) and the waves will have good shape. Afternoon gets a bit cross-on, so get out early.
Sunday, August 2nd, is a beauty. Morning has a light NNE cross-off, and the afternoon goes glassy with a west wind at 3 mph. The swell holds at 4ft with a 12-second period, and the energy is solid (566). Clean conditions all day.
Monday, August 3rd, is the first real highlight. Morning is absolute perfection: 4ft of WSW groundswell, 14-second period, and the wind is dead calm, glassy. The combined energy is strong (989). This is a proper session – long-period groundswell, so it’ll wrap in nicely here. The afternoon gets bumpy as the swell jumps to 6ft (1028 energy) with a cross-on wind, so be out early.
Tuesday, August 4th, is a wash with messy cross-shore winds and onshore slop in the afternoon. Not your day.
Wednesday, August 5th, the swell hits 10ft from the SW (14-second period), pushing massive energy (3192). The morning has a strong cross-off north wind at 16 mph, so it’s clean, but 10ft is expert-only. The afternoon gets choppy. Thursday, August 6th, is even bigger – 13ft to 15ft SW swell, with energy readings off the charts (6236 and 7932). That’s too big for this break. Friday, August 7th, it drops back to 10ft and the morning is glassy, no wind, clean. That’s an excellent window for experienced surfers only. Saturday, August 8th, the swell is 8ft, but the wind is messy.
The following week is a mixed bag. Sunday, August 9th, another 12ft pulse with strong SE winds, too big and too windy. Monday, August 10th, is a write-off with near-gale winds. Tuesday, August 11th, sees a return to glassy conditions in the morning, with a 4ft SSW swell (12 seconds) and moderate energy (686). That’s a small, clean, fun session. Wednesday, August 12th, has a nice offshore N-E wind, 5ft swell, clean. Thursday and Friday, August 13th and 14th, see 5ft to 6ft WSW swell, but the wind gets a bit cross or cross-on, so quality drops.
The last day, Saturday, August 15th, finishes strong with a 5ft W swell, an offshore ENE breeze at 9 mph, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate (617). A good way to end the run.
The standout sessions are the glassy Monday morning of August 3rd for the clean, long-period groundswell, and the glassy Friday morning of August 7th for the big, clean swell for experts. For the average surfer, the mornings of July 31st, August 1st, and August 2nd are all very solid, clean options.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SW 12 | WSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
416 | 355 | 250 | 581 | 494 | 486 | 486 | 442 | 591 | 712 | 1028 | 822 | 534 | 392 | 472 | 3192 | 3336 | 3978 | 6236 | 7932 | 5302 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | glassy | off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:33PM1.52m | 4:41AM1.42m | 5:03PM1.53m | 5:13AM1.39m | 5:34PM1.52m | 5:48AM1.34m | 6:08PM1.47m | 6:28AM1.27m | 6:48PM1.41m | 7:15AM1.19m | 7:38PM1.32m | 8:20AM1.10m | 8:48PM1.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:18AM0.12m | 10:42PM0.20m | 10:47AM0.13m | 11:13PM0.20m | 11:16AM0.16m | 11:47PM0.21m | 11:48AM0.21m | 00:24AM0.25m | 12:25PM0.29m | 1:09AM0.31m | 1:11PM0.39m | 2:07AM0.39m | 2:13PM0.48m | 3:28AM0.44m | |||||||
7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
416 | 355 | 250 | 581 | 494 | 486 | 486 | 442 | 591 | 712 | 1028 | 822 | 534 | 392 | 281 | 3192 | 3336 | 3978 | 6236 | 7932 | 5302 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | S 9 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 13 | — | — | S 18 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | — | — | WSW 14 | — | — | — |
7 | 60 | 215 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 118 | 25 | 277 | — | — | 6 | 24 | 472 | — | — | 1023 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | S 9 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 | WSW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
13 | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | — | — |
— | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 39 | 233 | 39 | 3 | 16 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Eerste Steen Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Eerste Steen provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Eerste Steen can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Eerste Steen 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 (Eerste Steen) 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 Eerste Steen 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.
Eerste Steen is 8 km (5 miles) from the very large city of Robben Island. If you plan a holiday in Cape Town, look for hotels and other accommodation in Robben Island. Robben Island has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as cheap car hire and transport links.











