Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, W swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, W swell with 4,691 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 11s. 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 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) 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 1.5m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks at Eerste Steen.
Right off the bat, the water's running at 56°, which is a solid 4° colder than what we'd normally expect this time of year. That's a noticeable chill, so if you're paddling out, a thicker steamer is a must.
The outlook starts with a bit of a struggle. We kick off on Sunday the 23rd with a solid 7ft WSW swell, but the wind is messy, blowing cross-shore at 9 mph, and the conditions are just 'marginal'. The combined energy is chunky at 1532 (moderate), but it's not going to be pretty. Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are in the same boat – there's plenty of size, around 6ft to 7ft from the SW, but the wind is ruining the party, keeping things chopped and bumpy.
We finally get a window on Wednesday the 26th. It's not the biggest swell of the period, but the conditions finally come together. The morning sees a 5ft swell from the WSW, but it's the afternoon that shines. The wind drops to a light 6 mph, coming cross-offshore, and the report says "clean". This is the moment to be out there. The swell's a modest 4ft, but the combined energy is a solid 1059 (moderate) and with that glassy surface, Eerste Steen will be fun for the intermediate crew.
Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are a mixed bag. There are some cleaner moments on Friday morning with a 4ft S swell and a clean surface (499 energy - weak), but the size is on the smaller side.
Then the wheels come off. From Saturday the 29th all the way through to about Wednesday the 3rd of September, the wind picks up in a big way, with strong NW and NNW winds. Swell sizes jump, hitting 12ft on the 30th and even 16ft on the 2nd of September. But the wind is howling at 19-31 mph, making it a complete write-off for a clean surf. At that point, with that much wind and messy swell, this beach setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddling.
The clean-up begins towards the end. On the 4th of September, the swell drops back to a manageable 7ft from the WSW, but the wind is still cross-onshore, leaving it choppy. The 5th of September has a huge 15ft SW groundswell with a long 15-second period, and the wind is light and onshore. The energy is massive at 9746 (very strong), but the text warns it's simply too big for this break. This is one for the experts only, and even then, it'll be a beast.
The best bet, without a doubt, is Wednesday the 26th of August afternoon. The clean, light wind and a waist-to-chest high WSW swell will make Eerste Steen a proper little playground. Don't sleep on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the NNW by Sat morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 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) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1532 | 1236 | 974 | 376 | 1171 | 1949 | 1748 | 1151 | 669 | 525 | 353 | 463 | 370 | 351 | 274 | 433 | 452 | 560 | 501 | 1267 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:01AM1.13m | 1:36PM1.19m | 1:40AM1.24m | 2:08PM1.31m | 2:13AM1.33m | 2:36PM1.42m | 2:44AM1.41m | 3:04PM1.52m | 3:14AM1.47m | 3:32PM1.59m | 3:44AM1.50m | 4:01PM1.63m | 4:16AM1.50m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:07PM0.56m | 7:27AM0.41m | 7:45PM0.45m | 7:59AM0.30m | 8:17PM0.34m | 8:27AM0.21m | 8:46PM0.24m | 8:54AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.16m | 9:21AM0.09m | 9:44PM0.10m | 9:49AM0.07m | 10:14PM0.07m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 16 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 |
| kJ | 1532 | 1236 | 974 | 376 | 1171 | 1949 | 1748 | 1151 | 669 | 525 | 351 | 463 | 370 | 351 | 274 | 433 | 452 | 560 | 501 | 1267 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 13 | SW 10 | WSW 11 | — | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | S 8 | S 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | WSW 16 | SSE 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 70 | 270 | 249 | — | 148 | 154 | 187 | 317 | 353 | 237 | 183 | 138 | 121 | 174 | 128 | 47 | 211 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 14 | SW 10 | — | — | — | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | — | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 13 | — | WSW 10 | WSW 18 | SSE 11 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 203 | 108 | — | — | — | 145 | 217 | 121 | — | 25 | 86 | 102 | — | 31 | 61 | 40 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 4 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 3 | — | SSE 3 | S 4 | — | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | — | — | 25 | 41 | 121 | 130 | 243 | 176 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 19 | — | 91 | 66 | 31 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 120 | 2 | 2 | 401 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 282 | 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.
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