
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 8,596 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 18s 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 2.5m and 12s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s heading our way. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming for Eerste Steen, but there’s a bit of a wait before the real magic kicks in.
The first decent session to get your eyes on is Thursday afternoon, July 23rd. The swell is building, with a 7ft SW groundswell rolling in at 11 seconds. The combined energy is already pumping at 1678 (moderate to strong). The wind is a light offshore from the ENE, barely a puff at 3 mph, and the water is sitting at 57°F – about 3°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll feel that nip. The conditions are clean and glassy, but this size is pushing it for beginners; it’s really for experienced surfers.
Now, the standout. Friday morning, July 24th, is your absolute best bet. The swell jumps to 12ft from the SW, with a long 14-second period. The combined energy goes through the roof at 4362 (strong to very strong). And the wind? Dead glassy from the ESE at 3 mph. This is a serious session, but listen – at 12ft, this is expert-only territory. Too big for anyone but the most experienced. The long period means the waves will be powerful and well-shaped, but at a beach setup like this, it can sometimes break a bit straight. Still, with that glassy wind, it’s a rare gem.
Saturday morning, the 25th, drops back to a more manageable 7ft SW swell, with a 13-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 6 mph. The energy is 1928 (moderate to strong). This is a fantastic option for the intermediate crew who found Friday a bit too heavy. Sunday morning, the 26th, offers another good window with 7ft SW swell, glassy E wind at 3 mph, and combined energy of 1185 (moderate). It’s clean, but the period is shorter at 11 seconds, so it won’t have the same punch as Friday.
The rest of the first week gets messy. Monday the 27th is a write-off thanks to strong cross-winds hitting 31 mph, and the swell is blown out completely. Tuesday the 28th is still too windy (19-22 mph), but it’s cross-offshore, so it’s rideable for the desperate. The week after that, starting Wednesday the 29th, the swell drops to 6ft and the winds ease up, giving you clean conditions again, but the energy is lower (1128). There’s a gap of a few days of smaller, less interesting surf towards the end of July and into early August.
Then, look ahead to Monday, August 3rd. A new WSW groundswell arrives at 5ft, but with a crazy long 16-second period. The combined energy is 1361 (moderate), and the wind is dead calm – zero mph. The waves will be glassy and clean, but that very long period can make a beach break tricky; it’s better suited for a point or reef. Still, for early morning, it’s a beautiful prospect. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th bring a bit more size (6ft to 8ft) but with light to moderate winds, keeping it mostly clean.
The best long-range call is Thursday morning, August 6th. A 7ft SW swell, 13-second period, with a light offshore N wind at 3 mph. The energy is 1519 (moderate to strong) and the forecast says excellent for experienced surfers. It’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it, but it has the makings of a proper session.
Overall, the pick of the entire 16-day window is Friday morning, July 24th, for the big, glassy, powerful SW groundswell. If that’s too heavy, Saturday morning the 25th and Sunday morning the 26th are your clean, solid alternatives. For the brave looking at the long game, Thursday morning, August 6th is the one to circle.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sun afternoon, strong winds from the SSE by Mon afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1107 | 8075 | 4362 | 3536 | 2158 | 1429 | 1789 | 1539 | 1004 | 1007 | 732 | 1169 | 4944 | 5693 | 2424 | 2171 | 1429 | 1083 | 996 | 803 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 11:05PM1.08m | 12:11PM1.02m | 00:19AM1.11m | 1:10PM1.09m | 1:14AM1.17m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:56AM1.25m | 2:29PM1.27m | 2:33AM1.32m | 3:02PM1.36m | 3:06AM1.38m | 3:33PM1.43m | 3:38AM1.41m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:48PM0.64m | 5:57AM0.53m | 6:16PM0.61m | 6:58AM0.46m | 7:16PM0.54m | 7:43AM0.38m | 7:59PM0.45m | 8:20AM0.30m | 8:36PM0.38m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:09PM0.31m | 9:22AM0.17m | 9:40PM0.25m | |||||||
— | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | |
6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | |
mm | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
1107 | 8075 | 4362 | 3536 | 2158 | 1429 | 1789 | 1539 | 1004 | 1007 | 732 | 1169 | 996 | 5693 | 2424 | 2171 | 1429 | 1083 | 996 | 803 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | — | — | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 |
537 | — | — | — | — | 499 | — | — | 181 | 171 | 290 | 927 | — | — | — | — | 92 | 45 | 36 | 35 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 11 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 132 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 5 | S 5 | SSW 14 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 72 | 71 | 4944 | 766 | 310 | 232 | 173 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 94 | 58 | 325 | 187 | 163 | 163 | 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.










