
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with 3,601 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.6m and 7s 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) 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 2.0m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Grab your board, because we’ve got a proper run of swell ahead, even if the start is a bit rough. The ocean’s been holding onto a bunch of energy, and once the winds play nice, we’re in for some proper sessions. The water’s sitting at 56°, which is a solid 4° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the thickest suit you’ve got – it’s properly chilly out there.
First up, Friday the 11th is a washout. We’ve got a cross-shore breeze kicking up a chop, and the waves are just messy. Not worth your time. Saturday the 12th is a bit better with cleaner conditions, but the tide’s looking iffy, so it’s still pretty marginal. The swell’s there, around 8ft from the SW, but it’s not coming together.
Sunday the 13th morning is where things start to get interesting. The wind drops right out to a light cross-off, and we’ve got 7ft of SW swell with a 14-second period. It’s clean, got some push, and for the experienced crew, this is a proper shout. The energy’s strong too, with 2152 units on the combined scale. It’s still not perfect, but it’s the first real taste of what’s coming.
Then we hit a bit of a lull. Monday through Wednesday is messy, with stronger winds and lumpy conditions. There’s some size on Tuesday afternoon – 8ft – but the wind’s all over it, turning it into a chop-fest. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re after a fight.
Now, here’s the standout. Friday the 18th morning. The sky’s clear, the wind is a light cross-off from the SE, and we’ve got 8ft of SW swell at 13 seconds, with 2867 units of energy. Conditions are clean, and it’s got that proper push. This is the one to circle on the calendar.
Saturday the 19th morning is still good – 6ft, clean, light winds – but the real gem is Sunday the 20th. Morning is glassy. Dead flat water, 8ft of SW swell at 14 seconds, and 2947 units of energy. This is about as good as it gets at Eerste Steen. The waves will be firing, and with no wind, it’ll be as clean as a whistle. The water’s still cold, but you won’t notice when you’re getting shacked.
After that, the energy fades. Monday the 21st through to the 23rd is on the smaller side, and the winds are getting messy again. There’s a pulse on Wednesday the 23rd afternoon – 6ft from the SW at 16 seconds – but it’s cross-shore and a bit lumpy.
Thursday the 24th morning is another good one. Light offshore from the ENE, 7ft of SW swell, clean and organized. 1892 units of energy. It’s a solid session for those in the know.
The last few days drop off into onshore slop with strong winds, so the outlook fades out. But don’t sleep on that Sunday the 20th – that’s the one you’ll be telling your mates about.
Just remember, this is all a bit out there, so keep an eye on the forecast as it gets closer. But for now, pencil in Friday the 18th and Sunday the 20th. You won’t want to miss those.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Mon morning, calm by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | NW 7 | SW 11 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
830 | 680 | 407 | 1500 | 2711 | 2341 | 1945 | 1029 | 600 | 380 | 396 | 250 | 338 | 2836 | 3595 | 1811 | 1830 | 623 | 413 | 332 | 1733 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:17AM1.52m | 4:29PM1.62m | 4:48AM1.45m | 4:59PM1.52m | 5:18AM1.35m | 5:29PM1.40m | 5:49AM1.24m | 6:00PM1.27m | 6:24AM1.13m | 6:36PM1.13m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:18AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 11:48AM0.38m | 00:15AM0.41m | 12:20PM0.51m | 00:53AM0.53m | |||||||
6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 7 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 14 |
830 | 680 | 407 | 1500 | 2711 | 2341 | 1945 | 1029 | 600 | 380 | 314 | 250 | 108 | 2836 | 3595 | 1811 | 711 | 623 | 413 | 332 | 1733 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 15 | — | — | S 7 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 13 | SE 13 | WSW 5 | SW 11 | W 8 | NNW 6 | SW 14 | W 13 | WSW 12 | W 12 | WSW 12 | SW 20 |
— | — | 107 | — | — | 120 | 207 | 95 | 39 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 174 | 324 | 15 | 506 | 799 | 454 | 294 | 186 | 97 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 10 | — | — | — | — | SSE 12 | — | SE 13 | — | SW 18 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | W 11 |
— | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | 6 | — | 13 | 338 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 155 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 6 | — | — | SSW 13 | S 7 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 6 |
340 | 529 | 285 | 302 | 280 | 256 | — | — | 33 | 329 | 396 | 145 | 128 | 17 | — | — | 1830 | 181 | 104 | 226 | 127 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 401 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 36 | 233 | 194 | 31 | 233 | 341 | 0 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 2 | 401 | 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.










