
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 5,021 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period with WSW 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 (Aug 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore 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 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The next stretch of surf has a bit of a wait, but there’s some real potential lining up if you’re patient. The first few days are going to be a bit of a write-off, but the back half of the first week has a standout window that looks proper.
To start, the first good window is Thursday the 6th. The swell is pushing 12ft from the WSW, with a 13-second period. The energy is strong, with that combined reading at 3611. The wind is light and cross-offshore, which is exactly what you want. It’s a clean, powerful morning, but the size is getting up there – this is for experienced surfers. The 12ft faces are well overhead, and the power is significant. It might be a bit much for the average punter, but for those who know the spot, it’s going to be a session to remember.
Then we get Friday the 7th. The swell eases slightly to 10ft, but the period is a touch longer at 14 seconds. The energy is still pumping at 3835. The wind is light and cross-offshore again, making for clean conditions. The wave comment says it right – excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. This is another standout. The longer period means more push and better shape, but also longer gaps between sets, which is good for getting out the back.
The water temp is around average for this time of year, nothing to write home about, but not freezing either.
After that, the weekend gets messy. Saturday the 8th has a bump in size, but the wind shifts onshore and the quality drops. Sunday the 9th is a complete write-off – strong winds, messy conditions, and poor surf. That’s a full two-day gap of not worth your time.
The following week is a step down in size but the quality starts to come back. Tuesday the 11th has lighter winds and a cleaner look, with 6ft of swell. Then Wednesday the 12th is another one to circle. The period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s a true groundswell. The swell is 5ft, and the energy is moderate at 1425, but that long period will make it feel much more powerful. The morning looks glassy with light offshore winds. This is a point-break style wave, and that long period is going to make it line up nicely. It’s not the biggest, but the quality will be there.
Thursday the 13th keeps that run going with 7ft of swell and a 16-second period, also with light offshore winds. Another good morning. The energy is a touch higher at 1904.
The rest of the second week is smaller, with the swell hovering around 5ft to 6ft. The morning of Saturday the 15th looks glassy, and Sunday the 16th has a clean look with light offshore wind, but the size is down. It’s fun, but not the same as the earlier days.
The very end of the period, around Tuesday the 19th, gets messy again with stronger winds and rain, so if you’re looking to get out, your best bets are the mornings of the 11th, 12th, and 13th. The big-power days are the 6th and 7th, but you need to be comfortable with size.
The standout window is the morning of Friday the 7th – 10ft of SW swell, 14-second period, light cross-offshore wind, and clean conditions. That’s the pick of the whole forecast. The morning of Thursday the 6th is right there with it, but it’s slightly bigger and a touch more raw.
So, in short: wait out the slop, be ready for Thursday and Friday, then enjoy the cleaner, longer-period waves mid-next week. It’s a good run for the area.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue night, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the SW by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sat night, strong winds from the SSE by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
301 | 1904 | 2233 | 4623 | 3611 | 3177 | 3267 | 3835 | 4370 | 3606 | 2126 | 3293 | 4626 | 3575 | 3548 | 1008 | 993 | 913 | 653 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 7:15AM1.19m | 7:38PM1.32m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:09AM0.31m | 1:11PM0.39m | 2:07AM0.39m | 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 | |||||||
— | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | |
6:07 | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 15 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | — | — | SW 11 | S 10 | SW 10 | SSW 13 |
144 | 1904 | 2233 | 4623 | 3611 | 3177 | 3267 | 3835 | 4370 | 3606 | 2126 | 3293 | 4626 | — | — | 1008 | 753 | 281 | 653 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 11 | SSW 13 | S 9 |
301 | 60 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 515 | 131 | 320 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | — | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 10 |
98 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 173 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 4 | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | SSW 12 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | — |
— | 31 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3575 | 3548 | 748 | 993 | 913 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 82 | 233 | 31 | 3 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 58 | 420 | 2808 | 163 | 1274 | 2808 | 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.











