
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,370 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 8AM (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 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 13s period. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the charts for our local stretch. We’ve got one main spot to talk about, and the next 16 days are a bit of a wild ride.
First up, we start with a bang on Thursday, August 6. Eerste Steen is pumping, but this is no beginner’s playground. We’re looking at a solid 10-foot swell from the WSW with a 13-second period, which has some serious grunt behind it – the combined energy is a massive 3314. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good suit. Thursday morning the wind is light from the SE, making it a clean cross-off breeze, so the surf will be well-shaped and powerful. This is excellent for experienced surfers only – the size and energy mean it’s not a day to be mucking about if you’re not comfortable in heavy water. Thursday afternoon the wind picks up to 25 km/h from the SSE, turning it cross-shore and a bit messy, and the swell bumps to 12 feet. It’s still big, but the wind won’t help.
Friday, August 7: The early session is the real standout. Morning brings beautiful offshore winds from the ENE at 10 km/h, with that 10-foot SW swell holding at 14 seconds. The energy jumps again to 3673. That’s a classic combination: good wind on a solid, long-period groundswell, meaning steep, clean faces and longer waits between sets. It’s a treat for anyone who can handle it. The afternoon goes onshore from the SW at 15 km/h, which kills the quality – the swell is too big and the wind is wrong.
Now, Saturday, August 8 is where we get the best session of the first week. The morning is absolute glass – the wind is from the WSW at just 5 km/h, and the swell drops to a slightly more manageable 8 feet from the SW at 13 seconds. The energy is still solid at 2221, but with zero wind, the ocean will be like a mirror. This is a top-tier morning for an expert surfer. The afternoon turns cloudy and onshore again, so don’t sleep in.
Sunday, August 9 is a write-off. Strong breeze from the SSE at 40 km/h creates a messy cross-shore chop. The swell is 12 feet but it’s just a washing machine. Not worth it.
The next few days drop in size but the wind stays tricky. Monday, August 10 drops to 6 feet with a moderate SE breeze – it’s marginal, but a longboard might find something. Tuesday, August 11 has a nice morning offshore from the East at 10 km/h with a 6-foot SSW swell at 12 seconds. That’s a great clean window for a bit of fun on the smaller end of the swell. Wednesday, August 12 delivers a seriously interesting one: a 6-foot WSW groundswell with a whopping 18-second period. The energy jumps to 2163 for a small wave – that’s a lot of push. The morning has light offshore from the ENE. This swell will have incredible power and shape for its height, but at a beach break it might close out a bit. Still, for an experienced surfer, that’s a special day of punchy, clean waves.
Thursday, August 13 keeps the good run going. Morning offshore from the NE at 15 km/h on a 7-foot WSW swell at 16 seconds. The energy is 2262. That’s a classic, powerful, clean swell. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off breeze. Two solidly good mornings in a row.
From Friday, August 14 through Saturday, August 16, the swell drops and the wind is a bit mixed. There are clean windows, but nothing jumps out as epic. You’re looking at 4 to 6-foot surf, mostly clean, but lacking the energy and power of the earlier days. The 16th has a glassy afternoon session that looks like a nice, mellow surf on 6-foot swell.
Then we get a late shout. Monday, August 17 has a 10-foot WSW swell with a 15-second period, and the energy is through the roof at 4467. The morning wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s a bit bumpy, but that is a huge amount of water moving. This is for experts only, and the wind might keep it from being perfect, but the power is undeniable. The rest of the third week starts to look messy with strong winds returning and poor surf quality from the 18th onwards.
So, the standout sessions? Without a doubt, Saturday, August 8 morning for the glassy, clean 8-foot groundswell – that is the pick of the whole run. The second pick is Friday, August 7 morning for the beautiful offshore winds on a big, powerful swell, and Thursday, August 13 morning for the clean, consistent offshore conditions on a solid 7-foot swell. The 18-second period on the Wednesday morning is a real wildcard for the connoisseurs. Keep an eye on that 17th of August too – huge energy, but the wind might play games.
That’s the picture from here. Keep your wetsuit zipped and your eyes on the horizon.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | WSW 21 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3314 | 3318 | 3135 | 3673 | 4370 | 3397 | 2221 | 3893 | 4041 | 3349 | 3235 | 1913 | 729 | 782 | 1821 | 985 | 603 | 1733 | 2009 | 2113 | 2110 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 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 | 2:32PM1.51m | 2:47AM1.53m | 3:13PM1.62m | 3:29AM1.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:19AM0.10m | 8:44PM0.13m | 9:01AM0.02m | 9:27PM0.05m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | |
mm | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | WSW 21 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
3314 | 3318 | 3135 | 3673 | 4370 | 3397 | 2221 | 3893 | 4041 | 3349 | — | 1913 | 729 | 453 | 1821 | 985 | 603 | 1733 | 2009 | 2113 | 2110 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | SSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 24 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 10 | SW 20 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | 201 | 75 | 40 | 292 | 238 | 143 | 61 | 769 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 10 | SE 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | 39 | 98 | 11 | 49 | 46 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | — | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3235 | — | 533 | 782 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 341 | 599 | 2801 | 2 | 2 | 126 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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.











