Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 20 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SW swell with 1,615 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Friday (Sep 18) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 7s. 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 2.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 20th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 20th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a solid run of south-west swell on the cards for Eerste Steen, but it’s not all good news. There’s a few days of lumpy, messy conditions to wait through before we get the real deal. The water is sitting at 53°, which is 7° colder than usual—that’s way out of the ordinary, so make sure you’ve got the thickest wetsuit you own. Combined swell energy starts off strong at 3211 (very strong), dropping through the week.
Right now, Wednesday the 16th, it’s a write-off. Solid 10 ft SW swell but with a fresh 22 mph cross-shore wind creating lumpy chop. No good for paddle surfing—this setup is more interesting for kite surfing. Thursday the 17th is still messy, southeast wind at 22 mph in the morning cleaning it up a little, but the afternoon turns sour again.
Friday the 18th is where it starts to turn. Morning sees a light 6 mph cross-off breeze from the southeast, 5 ft SW swell at 11 seconds, and clean conditions. Combined energy at 737 (moderate). It’s a great session for intermediates—not too big, waves are shaped well by that longer period. The afternoon stays clean but gets a stiffer breeze. Saturday the 19th is similar: 5 ft SW swell, cross-off winds, clean. Crowds are possible at this break—it does get busy. Sunday morning the 20th is the start of the standout window: 6 ft SW swell, 13-second period, combined energy of 1363 (moderate to strong), and a gentle cross-shore. Not perfect, but fun.
The real standout comes on Friday the 25th of September. Glassy conditions with a 3 mph west wind, 7 ft SW swell at 12 seconds, and clean as a whistle. Combined energy at 1243 (moderate to strong). This is the pick of the whole run for confident intermediates—just be aware that 7 ft is getting up there, and it’s a bit much for beginners. Saturday the 26th morning is also very good: 6 ft SW swell, light cross-off breeze, clean. Good solid groundswell.
After that, things wind down. Sunday the 27th has a larger 7 ft WSW swell but with onshore wind developing, so it gets messy. By Monday the 28th the period drops to 8 seconds, energy fades, and the rest of the outlook into late September and early October is a mix of weak, short-period windswell and poor conditions. A few sessions are marginal at best—mostly not worth paddling out for.
So to sum it up: tough start, but Friday 25th and Saturday 26th mornings are the ones to circle. Glassy, clean, decent-size SW groundswell. Wrap up warm.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SE by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2677 | 1236 | 1446 | 1031 | 945 | 685 | 640 | 796 | 824 | 514 | 799 | 1615 | 1269 | 848 | 573 | 480 | 464 | 403 | 321 | 330 | 204 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 6:00PM1.27m | 6:24AM1.13m | 6:36PM1.13m | 7:10AM1.01m | 7:30PM1.00m | 8:48AM0.92m | 9:37PM0.93m | 11:20AM0.96m | 11:39PM0.99m | 12:26PM1.08m | 00:34AM1.10m | 1:02PM1.21m | 1:11AM1.22m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:48AM0.38m | 00:15AM0.41m | 12:20PM0.51m | 00:53AM0.53m | 1:03PM0.63m | 2:02AM0.64m | 2:56PM0.73m | 4:47AM0.65m | 5:47PM0.67m | 6:11AM0.55m | 6:42PM0.56m | 6:52AM0.44m | 7:17PM0.43m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:38 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:40 | — | — | 6:42 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 7 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 7 |
| kJ | 2677 | 1236 | 1446 | 1031 | 945 | 685 | 640 | 796 | 824 | 514 | 799 | 1615 | 1269 | 848 | 573 | 480 | 464 | 403 | 321 | 330 | 152 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 13 | W 12 | — | — | W 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | — | — | — | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 534 | 628 | 324 | 139 | — | — | 7 | 12 | 41 | 217 | 52 | — | — | — | 71 | 23 | 21 | 93 | 170 | 164 | 204 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 15 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | — | S 13 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | 16 | 2 | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | — | S 5 | — | W 3 | SW 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 207 | 302 | 276 | 345 | 171 | 90 | 249 | 121 | 139 | 278 | 123 | 94 | 126 | 141 | — | 13 | — | 1 | 30 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 341 | 163 | 58 | 163 | 995 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 380 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
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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