
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 3,805 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with W 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11PM. 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+) | 5AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's shaping up for Eerste Steen over the next couple of weeks.
Overall Pattern: For the first few days, the surf is small and the conditions are honestly pretty average. Nothing to get excited about yet, but we’ve got some serious juice arriving mid-week. Wednesday the 15th is where things start to switch on, and from there we see a long run of solid, clean swell. The standout window is Wednesday morning the 15th and then again from late on the 21st right through to the 29th, but take note—by the 22nd, the swell gets proper big. This isn't beginner territory when it's overhead plus.
From Tuesday 14 July: Tuesday is a write-off, really. We’re looking at tiny 3ft W swell with weak energy (251), and only the afternoon gets a bit of a glassy window. It’s surfable but ultra-ordinary. Don’t waste the energy.
Wednesday 15 July – The first standout: Wednesday morning brings the first real moment. The swell jumps to 4ft from the WSW with a very long 17s period, powering the wave energy up to 1183 (moderate). The wind is dead calm and it's glassy. That’s going to produce some clean, lined-up waves—perfect for intermediates. This is the best bet for the early part of the forecast.
Wednesday afternoon the swell jumps to 8ft SW with 16s period, but the wind swings cross-onshore and things get a bit lumpy. For experienced surfers only, and it’s marginal.
Thursday 16 July keeps the energy high. Morning is 8ft SW, 13s period, and glassy with 2275 energy. Excellent for advanced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a cross-onshore wind, so hit it early.
Friday 17 through Saturday 19 July: The swell drops back a little but stays in the 6ft to 7ft range. Winds are mostly cross or light onshore, so it’s not awful, but not the clean, glassy goodness of Wednesday morning. Saturday morning the 18th has a brief glassy window with 4ft S swell (429 energy), but it’s smaller and weaker.
Sunday 19 to Monday 20 July: Swell picks up again to around 7ft SSW, but the wind gets a bit firmer from the south and onshore. It’s marginal and choppy in the afternoons. Not worth rushing.
Tuesday 21 July – The second standout: Tuesday morning the 21st is a ripper. 8ft SW swell, 14s period (long period groundswell), and glassy with 2121 energy. This is clean, powerful, and for experienced surfers only. The afternoon gets onshore, so go early.
Wednesday 22 July: The swell jumps to 12ft SW, 14s period, with 4600 energy. That’s big. The morning has clean cross-offshore wind from the north, but frankly, it’s too big for even this break—experts only, and even then, it might be a beast. The afternoon stays big with a cross-shore chop.
Thursday 23 to Friday 24 July: Still huge. 10ft to 15ft WSW swell with massive energy (up to 5990). Mornings are cleaner but the swell is pumping—this is expert-only territory, and honestly, with waves that size and period, it might be more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers at a beach setup.
Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 July: The swell drops to a more manageable 8ft to 10ft WSW, with light offshore or cross-offshore winds and clean conditions. Excellent for experienced surfers, with solid 12-13s period. This is the best stretch of the second week.
Monday 27 to Tuesday 28 July: Swell backs down to 6ft on Monday morning, very clean with cross-offshore wind. Tuesday morning the 28th is a standout again: 10ft SW swell, 13s period, dead calm and glassy with 3172 energy. That’s a big, clean day for experts.
Wednesday 29 July: The final forecast day shows another pulse of 13ft to 15ft SW swell with super long 14s period. The energy goes through the roof (6587 to 7405). Too big for this break, but if you’re a real charger and the wind is light, it’s a spectacle.
Water temp is running 57°F on Tuesday the 14th—that's about 3°F cooler than average for this time of year, so expect it to feel a bit nippy. Grab the 4/3.
Best advice: Wednesday morning 15 July is your sweet spot for clean, fun waves without the huge size. Tuesday morning 21 July and Tuesday morning 28 July are the premium sessions for experienced surfers who want power and clean conditions.
Stay safe out there.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | S 9 | S 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
167 | 156 | 132 | 963 | 3383 | 3558 | 2275 | 1471 | 1013 | 981 | 789 | 499 | 205 | 240 | 1100 | 1014 | 862 | 730 | 955 | 970 | 996 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:27PM1.56m | 3:42AM1.56m | 4:12PM1.61m | 4:28AM1.54m | 4:55PM1.63m | 5:12AM1.48m | 5:37PM1.59m | 5:55AM1.39m | 6:19PM1.52m | 6:38AM1.28m | 7:01PM1.42m | 7:23AM1.17m | 7:45PM1.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:14AM0.02m | 9:38PM0.10m | 9:58AM-0.00m | 10:25PM0.08m | 10:40AM0.01m | 11:11PM0.09m | 11:20AM0.07m | 11:55PM0.15m | 12:00PM0.16m | 00:39AM0.23m | 12:39PM0.27m | 1:24AM0.33m | 1:21PM0.39m | 2:14AM0.43m | |||||||
7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | |
— | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | S 9 | S 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 |
167 | 156 | 132 | 963 | 3383 | 3558 | 2275 | 1471 | 1013 | 981 | 789 | 499 | 205 | 224 | 1100 | 1014 | 862 | 730 | 955 | 970 | 996 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | SW 18 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 16 |
25 | 24 | 108 | 104 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 72 | 163 | 240 | 133 | 51 | 31 | 72 | 65 | 45 | 314 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 9 | SW 13 | — | — | W 18 | SSE 9 | SW 16 | SW 18 | W 9 |
59 | 56 | 52 | 116 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 61 | 235 | — | — | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 25 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
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.










