
Surf Forecasts:
Eerste Steen surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 7,984 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 13s. 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 4.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eerste Steen over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, lookin' at the next couple of weeks for us. There's a decent run of surf on the way, but we gotta be patient. The first real session isn't until Thursday afternoon, so the early part of the week is a bit of a write-off.
We're starting off with a bit of a wait. Nothing worth paddling out for until Thursday the 23rd. The water's sitting at 57°, which is about 3° cooler than usual for this time of year – you'll feel that chill for sure.
Thursday afternoon is where it gets interesting at Eerste Steen. We've got a clean 7ft SW groundswell rolling in with an 11-second period. The wind's a light Easterly at 3 mph, keeping it clean. This one's for the experienced crew – it's got decent power with combined energy at (1926).
Friday morning the 24th is the standout of this first week. The swell is pushing 12ft from the SW with a long 14-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at (4362). It's clean with a light ESE breeze. But let's be real – that size is for experts only, the wave face will be heaving. If you're not solid, give this one a miss.
That big swell drops back a touch for Saturday morning the 25th, still a solid 8ft from the SW with a 13-second period. Wind is light and cross-offshore from the ESE, so the lines should be clean. Good energy at (2967), but still on the bigger side.
Things settle into a more manageable groove by Sunday the 26th afternoon, with a 6ft SW swell at 12 seconds and clean conditions from a SE breeze. This is more of a friendly size.
We've got a quiet spell mid-week with smaller swells and messy winds, but then Friday morning the 31st looks promising. A clean 5ft SW swell with a nice 13-second period and light offshore wind. Nice and friendly for everyone.
Then on Saturday the 1st of August, the morning session looks prime. 5ft from the SW, 13 seconds, and glassy conditions. That's the kind of morning you dream about.
Sunday the 2nd keeps the run going with a clean 7ft SW swell (15 seconds) and light cross-offshore wind.
Looking further out, the end of the run is looking very big but a bit wild. Wednesday the 5th morning has a 8ft WSW swell – clean and off-shore, that's an expert session. But then it gets silly. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday the 6th see a massive spike with swell heights from 20ft to 25ft and combined energy in the five-digit range (up to 26878). That's huge, dangerous, and messy. Not paddle-surfing territory – more for the tow-in crew or the kiters. The break is just going to be a washing machine.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the SE by Tue morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1131 | 734 | 759 | 1191 | 7520 | 4362 | 3536 | 2281 | 1922 | 1591 | 1271 | 914 | 963 | 1127 | 819 | 2644 | 2484 | 2358 | 2544 | 2004 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:43PM1.11m | 10:48AM0.98m | 11:05PM1.08m | 12:11PM1.02m | 00:19AM1.11m | 1:10PM1.09m | 1:14AM1.17m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:56AM1.25m | 2:29PM1.27m | 2:33AM1.32m | 3:02PM1.36m | 3:06AM1.38m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:14PM0.60m | 4:34AM0.55m | 4:48PM0.64m | 5:57AM0.53m | 6:16PM0.61m | 6:58AM0.46m | 7:16PM0.54m | 7:43AM0.38m | 7:59PM0.45m | 8:20AM0.30m | 8:36PM0.38m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:09PM0.31m | |||||||
— | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | |
5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
1131 | 734 | 759 | 1191 | 7520 | 4362 | 3536 | 2281 | 1922 | 1591 | 1271 | 914 | 963 | 1127 | 819 | 606 | 2484 | 2358 | 2544 | 2004 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | — | — | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — |
115 | 250 | 233 | 537 | — | — | — | — | 703 | — | — | 273 | 255 | 57 | 612 | 159 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 23 | WSW 13 | — | — | — | — | WSW 13 | — | — | — | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 21 | 198 | — | — | — | — | 342 | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | N 4 | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 | — | — | SSE 5 | — | S 4 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 |
2 | 9 | 67 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 10 | — | 21 | 138 | 266 | 2644 | 2003 | 931 | 572 | 237 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 31 | 6 | 82 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 127 | 2 | 126 | 2 | 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.










