
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,839 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 (Aug 07) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Eerste Steen.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid, consistent run of SW groundswell through the whole 16-day window. The water is a chilly 56° with a massive anomaly of -4°, which is much colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit, boots, and gloves.
The standout period is definitely the first week, kicking off Thursday, 6 August. Thursday morning is the real deal. We’ve got a 10ft swell from the WSW with a 13-second period, giving a very strong combined energy of 3314. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE at 9 mph, keeping those faces clean. This is excellent surf, but with that size, it’s really only for experienced surfers.
Friday, 7 August, holds the best swell of the early run. The morning is clean with a 10ft SW swell at 14 seconds, and the energy jumps to 3673. The wind is light and cross-off from the E. The afternoon, however, sees the swell jump to 12ft with a direct onshore wind from the SW. It’s simply too big for this break by then.
The glassy morning of Saturday, 8 August, is a moment of beauty. Zero wind, 8ft SW swell at 13 seconds, 2221 energy. The waves will be perfect, but again, that’s big stuff for the crew who know what they’re doing.
The middle of the week, from Monday, 10 August, through to Tuesday, 11 August, sees the swell drop back to a more manageable 5ft to 7ft. The winds are mostly cross-off or light, so the conditions look clean, but the energy drops to the moderate range (1037-1328), and the surf quality is labelled as marginal. It’s worth a paddle, but it won’t have the same power.
The second week brings a really interesting twist. From Wednesday, 12 August, into Thursday, 13 August, we get a very long-period SW groundswell at 18 seconds and 17 seconds. The height hangs around 6ft to 7ft, and the energy is back up to the strong range (2225-2795). The wind is offshore from the ENE on both mornings, making for excellent, clean, powerful waves. This is a classic Eerste Steen setup – a long-period SW groundswell with offshore wind – and it promises some proper, lined-up waves. The 17 August morning is also a standout call with an 8ft WSW swell, glassy conditions, and 2005 energy.
Towards the end of the run, the swell remains consistent, but the wind patterns become more mixed. The 21 August afternoon kicks up a massive 12ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, with a combined energy of 5880, but the cross-on wind and sheer size will likely make it a close-out. It’s another one for the experts only.
The best bet is the Thursday, 6 August to Saturday, 8 August window for the cleanest, biggest, and most powerful swells, but be aware that the water is brutally cold and the size is serious. The long-period groundswell from the 12th to the 13th is a very promising, clean alternative for the experienced crew.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | S 10 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WSW 21 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3314 | 3191 | 3135 | 3673 | 4370 | 3397 | 2221 | 4132 | 4378 | 3856 | 3357 | 1874 | 579 | 755 | 2204 | 1019 | 559 | 2092 | 2065 | 2187 | 1845 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross | off |
High Tide | 8:20AM1.10m | 8:48PM1.23m | 9:52AM1.05m | 10:22PM1.20m | 11:32AM1.10m | 11:55PM1.25m | 12:48PM1.23m | 1:05AM1.35m | 1:45PM1.37m | 2:00AM1.45m | 2:32PM1.51m | 2:47AM1.53m | 3:13PM1.62m | 3:29AM1.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:13PM0.48m | 3:28AM0.44m | 3:47PM0.55m | 5:09AM0.43m | 5:37PM0.51m | 6:32AM0.33m | 6:57PM0.39m | 7:32AM0.21m | 7:55PM0.25m | 8:19AM0.10m | 8:44PM0.13m | 9:01AM0.02m | 9:27PM0.05m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | |
mm | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 22 | 23 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | — | — | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WSW 21 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
3314 | 3191 | 3135 | 3673 | 4370 | 3397 | 2221 | 4132 | 4378 | — | — | 1874 | 579 | 375 | 1641 | 1019 | 559 | 2092 | 2065 | 2187 | 1715 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 25 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 19 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 13 | 198 | 101 | 41 | 306 | 366 | 160 | 127 | 1845 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 28 | WSW 10 | SSE 8 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 39 | 86 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | SSW 12 | — | S 9 | S 10 | S 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3856 | 3357 | — | 445 | 755 | 2204 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 127 | 341 | 995 | 3870 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
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.











