
Surf Forecasts:
Fish Hoek surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,516 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fish Hoek this week:
The surf forecast for Fish Hoek over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fish Hoek in the next 16 days are 1.6m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11AM. 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 13s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fish Hoek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu at Fish Hoek over the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it's a tough stretch. We got some serious waiting to do before anything decent lines up.
Right now, the sea is a mess. Strong, onshore winds are just tearing the place apart, forcing up towering, junky swell that's pushing 8 feet on Thursday afternoon and Friday, but with a short, weak period. The combined energy is high (1266 on Thursday arvo, 1084 Friday morning), but it's all wind-chop and closeouts. Not worth paddling for. This ugly, windy pattern hangs around right through the first week, with wave heights staying around 5 to 8 feet, but always blown-out with a cross-onshore or onshore wind. It’s a solid blank run of poor surf from now through about the 12th of September. A few sessions on Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th get a brief window of lighter winds and some offshore flow from the NW, but the swell drops way down to 3 feet. It's clean, sure, but just too small to get excited about.
The first real standout comes on Sunday, the 13th of September. Now, we get a pulse of swell, hitting 8 feet (1769 energy in the arvo) from the SE. The period is still short at 8-9 seconds, and it's a cross-on breeze, so it won't be perfect. But that's by far the most power we've seen in a while, and it might just have enough grunt to offer a couple of waves if you're desperate.
The absolute best bet, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Monday, the 14th of September. It’s not the biggest of the run, with waves around 3 feet from the SSW, but the combined energy is a respectable 582. The kicker is the wind: a clear, offshore flow from the NW and WNW all day, with a light to moderate breeze. That means clean, lined-up conditions. For a spot like Fish Hoek, which is fairly exposed to the swell and can get crowded, this is your window. It's not a monster, but it'll be the most user-friendly, cleanest surf on offer. You'll be sharing the take-off zone, as crowds are often a thing here, but with quality like that, it beats the wind-blown slop of the surrounding days.
Later in the second week, on the 16th, there's another kick in size to 8 feet (1960 energy) from the SW on Wednesday morning, but the winds are a bit questionable again. That 8 feet from the SW on the 16th afternoon is huge, but the 15-second period and strong onshore winds will make it a washing machine. Stick with the 14th.
So, short story: The next week and a half is mostly a write-off. Hold out for Sunday the 13th for power, but lock in Monday the 14th of September for your best chance at clean, fun waves. Longer-range looks promising but is less certain, so keep an eye on the charts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, near gales from the SE by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Sat night, calm by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SW 13 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
734 | 364 | 1070 | 1320 | 932 | 853 | 755 | 627 | 755 | 728 | 1516 | 909 | 372 | 342 | 632 | 274 | 200 | 133 | 130 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:47AM1.20m | 7:10PM1.28m | 7:55AM1.08m | 8:29PM1.15m | 9:45AM1.03m | 10:28PM1.12m | 11:38AM1.11m | 00:04AM1.20m | 12:47PM1.27m | 1:06AM1.32m | 1:35PM1.43m | 1:53AM1.43m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:39AM0.30m | 12:45PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.42m | 1:54PM0.53m | 3:13AM0.51m | 3:56PM0.59m | 5:14AM0.48m | 5:54PM0.50m | 6:32AM0.36m | 7:02PM0.35m | 7:23AM0.23m | 7:51PM0.20m | |||||||
— | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
6:28 | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 14 |
734 | 364 | 196 | 94 | 52 | 30 | 29 | 41 | 58 | 728 | 1516 | 909 | 372 | 342 | 632 | 274 | 200 | 133 | 130 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 9 | W 15 | NW 10 | WSW 11 | S 14 | SSW 13 | SW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 10 | S 9 | S 12 | SE 7 | WSW 14 | SW 20 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 11 |
60 | 148 | 18 | 4 | 100 | 4 | 17 | 25 | 9 | 24 | 6 | 3 | 49 | 250 | 15 | 111 | 56 | 80 | 75 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | SW 24 | SSW 12 | — | S 9 | WSW 15 | SE 10 | S 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 12 | S 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 23 | 15 | — | 6 | 193 | 45 | 8 | 12 | 41 | 44 | 29 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | — | NW 3 | — | — |
118 | 257 | 1070 | 1320 | 932 | 853 | 755 | 627 | 755 | 494 | 241 | 140 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 8 | 936 | 1311 | 203 | 258 | 28 | 16 | 25 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Fish Hoek Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fish Hoek provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fish Hoek can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fish Hoek 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 (Fish Hoek) 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 Fish Hoek 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Cape Town? If you are looking for accommodation near Fish Hoek, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cape Town, consider staying in Cape Town which is 22 km (14 miles) away. Other places in and around Cape Town where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Bellville which is 31 km (19 miles) away, Robben Island, Stellenbosch and Kayamnandi.










