
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, WSW swell with 4,403 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 2s is also forecast. 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 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 5s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
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 on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Eerste Steen.
Right off the bat, the first few days are pretty grim. For the rest of today (Tuesday the 8th) and into Wednesday, the swell is tiny, only around 2ft to 3ft, with mediocre cross-shore winds and a lot of cross-chop. It’s just not worth paddling out. There’s also a big, unusual story to tell with the water temp—it’s sitting at 53°F, which is a massive 7°F colder than normal for this time of year. That’s a serious chill, way beyond what you’d usually feel.
The first glimmer of hope comes on Thursday the 10th. Swell starts to build properly, hitting 8ft in the morning from the SW with a solid 15-second period. Wave energy is very strong at (2215). The wind is cross-shore though, and the report flags it as questionable due to tides, so it’s one for the keen locals who know the bank. By the afternoon, it’s still 7ft but the period drops, and energy is still strong (1690), though wind stays cross. Expect a bit of a messy surface; not the standout.
Things get interesting from Friday the 11th through the weekend. Friday sees 6ft swell, but it’s all cross-shore wind with moderate energy, nothing special. Saturday the 12th is building again—5ft in the morning jumping to 7ft in the afternoon from the SW with a very long 16-second period. The combined wave energy is massive (3454) and wind is a light cross-shore from the SSE. This is a serious groundswell. It’ll be a bit challenging due to the long period straightening out at the beach, but for the better reef and sandbar sections, this could offer some clean, meaty lines if you pick your tide.
The real standout of the first week is Sunday morning, September 13th. The wind goes light and cross-offshore from the NNE, and we get a clean 6ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period. The report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." Wave energy is high (1478). This is your best bet for the cleanest, most user-friendly waves of the early run. It’s the one to circle on the calendar. After that, Monday and Tuesday slump back into poor surf with onshore winds and choppy conditions.
Now, looking into the second week, we get a few more intriguing windows. Friday the 18th looks like a beauty. Morning has 8ft from the SW, light SE cross-offshore wind, and a high energy level (2254) The report calls it "excellent." Then by afternoon, the wind goes glassy, flat calm, with 8ft still pumping at 13 seconds. That's the pick of the second week—clean, powerful, and the crowd could be a factor since it’s a good one. Saturday the 19th morning also goes glassy with 6ft from the SW, which will be super fun and clean for the intermediate crew.
After that, swell gets bigger again. 21st September shows a monster 12ft pulse from the SW with a very long 17-second period and massive energy (6463). But at this size, it’s for experts only, and the report states it’s predicted to be too big for this break. Monday afternoon and Tuesday get messy with onshore winds. Wednesday the 23rd sees another 10ft to 12ft pulse, but with short 11-second period and onshore winds, the quality will be poor for a wave this big.
So, overall, don't bother with the first three days. The true standouts are Sunday morning the 13th for the cleanest combo of size and offshores, and Friday the 18th, especially the glassy afternoon, for the best all-round conditions in the longer range. Keep an eye on the local banks for those long-period swells, boys.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | S 8 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
140 | 172 | 304 | 295 | 680 | 2215 | 1672 | 1383 | 967 | 710 | 491 | 1004 | 2445 | 1838 | 1233 | 1036 | 600 | 341 | 272 | 345 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:53AM1.44m | 2:15PM1.57m | 2:33AM1.51m | 2:51PM1.66m | 3:10AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:17AM1.52m | 4:29PM1.62m | 4:48AM1.45m | 4:59PM1.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:50PM0.20m | 8:04AM0.12m | 8:31PM0.08m | 8:41AM0.05m | 9:08PM0.01m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:42PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.07m | 10:49AM0.16m | 11:15PM0.17m | |||||||
— | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 4 | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
140 | 172 | 304 | 295 | 680 | 2215 | 1672 | 1383 | 967 | 710 | 307 | 1004 | 2445 | 1838 | 1233 | 1036 | 600 | 341 | 272 | 228 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | WSW 14 | S 9 | W 11 | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | — | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | SE 8 | SE 12 |
117 | 140 | 14 | 9 | 238 | — | — | — | — | — | 200 | — | — | 586 | 245 | 199 | 111 | 26 | 18 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | W 11 | SE 10 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 5 | — | — | — |
49 | 27 | 21 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | S 3 | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | — | S 4 | S 4 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | — | — | — | N 5 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 8 |
2 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 10 | — | 18 | 28 | 233 | 378 | 491 | 822 | 1009 | — | — | — | 11 | 87 | 238 | 345 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 39 | 39 |
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.










