Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 6,358 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period with WSW 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 8s. 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 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here.
Let’s have a look at what’s cooking over the next couple of weeks. The early window is looking like a bit of a slow burner, but there’s some serious grunt building for the end of the first week and into the second. We’ve got a solid window of clean waves on Wednesday morning to kick things off, and then a quieter spell before the ocean turns on.
Wednesday 26th August
We’re starting off at Eerste Steen with a nice little Wednesday morning session. The water’s a bit cooler than usual for this time of year, sitting at 57°, but that’s a small price to pay. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the WSW with a 13-second period, giving it some proper push. The wind is a light ESE cross-offshore at 9 mph, so the faces will be clean. The combined energy is solid at 858. It’s not a monster, but it’s a very fun, user-friendly size. This is the pick of the early days.
After that, Wednesday afternoon the wind swings southerly and drops, but the surf gets a bit wonky and the tide looks questionable, so that morning window is your window.
Thursday 27th to Saturday 29th
Thursday and Friday get a bit messy. The wind sits onshore or cross-onshore for most of it, and the swell mixes up. However, Friday morning (28th) is worth a mention. We get a glassy morning with the wind dropping right off. The swell drops to a tiny 3ft, but it’s coming from the WSW with a very long 16-second period. That’s a proper groundswell pulse. At that size, it’s going to be clean and fun on a longboard, but don't expect much power. The combined energy is weak at 644, so it’s a mellow one.
Saturday and Sunday see the wind pick up again and the sizes grow. Sunday 30th the swell jumps to 7ft from the WSW, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, making it lumpy and choppy. It’s a bit of a write-off for a good paddle session unless you’ve got a kite.
Monday 31st August to Tuesday 1st September
Monday brings a drop in wind but the surf is inconsistent and the quality is poor. The real story is Tuesday 1st September. The swell explodes. We’re looking at a massive 10ft to 13ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period. The combined energy is off the charts at 3126, then 5763. This is expert-only territory. The wind is onshore for the afternoon, though, with rain showers, so it’s going to be a beast. If you’re a seasoned charger, this is the one to have your eye on, but it’s way too big for the average surfer. It’s a genuine standout for the hardcore crew.
Wednesday 2nd to Friday 4th September
Wednesday stays big and choppy. Thursday morning (3rd) sees the swell drop to a more manageable 6ft with a clean cross-offshore wind from the SE, but it’s blowing a fresh 19 mph. Then Thursday afternoon turns into a complete mess with a gale warning and a short-period swell from the SSE. Avoid it.
Friday 4th September is another massive day. 13ft from the SSE with a 10-second period. The combined energy is over 3000. The morning is windy and lumpy, but the afternoon gets interesting with a gentle offshore breeze from the east at 9 mph. Clean conditions on an absolute mountain of water. Again, this is purely for experts.
Saturday 5th to Sunday 6th September
This is the peak of the swell window. Saturday 5th brings a colossal 20ft S swell with a 12-second period. Combined energy is 9167 – that’s a proper ocean event. The wind is a fresh cross-shore, it’s going to be dangerous and huge. Sunday 6th is only slightly smaller at 13ft to 10ft, still way too big for most. These days are a spectacle, not a paddle session.
Monday 7th September
After that monster swell, we get a nice reset. Monday morning is a beauty. The ocean calms down to a clean 5ft S swell with a 9-second period. The wind is glassy, dead calm. Combined energy is a manageable 925. This is the best wave of the entire run for the average surfer. Clean, punchy, and the crowds might be reasonable. It’s a second standout day after the chaos.
Tuesday 8th to Thursday 10th September
The final few days see the swell fizzle out. It drops below 3ft with short periods and poor winds. The energy drops below 200. It’s flat and messy. The run of good surf is over after that Monday.
So, for the forecast period: Wednesday morning 26th August is the best early call, and Monday morning 7th September is the standout recovery session after the big swell. For the experts, Tuesday 1st September and Friday 4th September are your heavy days.
Stay safe out there.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Sun morning, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
578 | 458 | 383 | 480 | 455 | 351 | 280 | 519 | 461 | 722 | 649 | 1752 | 1648 | 1415 | 1092 | 857 | 595 | 328 | 3126 | 5732 | 4540 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | on | on |
High Tide | 2:36PM1.42m | 2:44AM1.41m | 3:04PM1.52m | 3:14AM1.47m | 3:32PM1.59m | 3:44AM1.50m | 4:01PM1.63m | 4:16AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:23AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:27AM0.21m | 8:46PM0.24m | 8:54AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.16m | 9:21AM0.09m | 9:44PM0.10m | 9:49AM0.07m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.07m | 10:45PM0.07m | 10:48AM0.11m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:22AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | |||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | |
— | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
578 | 458 | 383 | 480 | 455 | 351 | 231 | 519 | 461 | 722 | 649 | 1752 | 1648 | 1415 | 1092 | 857 | 595 | 328 | 3126 | 5732 | 4540 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | WSW 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | — |
137 | 289 | 274 | 256 | 186 | 170 | 133 | 171 | 125 | 78 | 251 | 22 | 11 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 90 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | — | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | SSE 13 | WSW 18 | — | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | — | — | — |
143 | 357 | 191 | — | 26 | 126 | 280 | 57 | 63 | — | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 82 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | SSE 10 | — | — | SSW 4 | — | — | NNW 4 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 7 | — | — | 10 | — | — | 11 | — | — | 31 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 41 | 341 | 72 | 94 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 341 | 127 | 31 |
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.











