Surf Forecasts:
Fish Hoek surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 4,844 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period with WSW 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s. 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 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fish Hoek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, folks. Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming down the line for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, to be straight with you, the next few days are pretty grim. It’s a real battle just to find a wave worth paddling for. The good stuff doesn’t really kick in until the back end of the first week, so we’ve got a bit of a waiting game on our hands. Most of the early windows are plagued by crummy winds, even when there’s a bit of swell in the water.
The combined wave energy (422) for the first Friday afternoon is weak, and the wind is just a mess. We get a few pulses of bigger swell around the 30th and 31st of August, with some readings over 3 feet up to nearly 6 feet, but that’s all blown out by strong cross-onshore winds. Not the sort of day to be getting excited about. Same story for the start of September – the combined energy jumps right up (1067) on the Tuesday morning with a 6ft SW swell at a decent 13 seconds, and the wind goes light cross-off, which is a big step up. The water temp here at Fish Hoek is sitting about 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget the booties.
That Tuesday the 1st of September is the first real glimmer of hope. The morning session is the standout: a clean 6ft groundswell from the SW with a long period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is solid (1067), and with a light cross-off breeze, it’s going to be glassy. This is the pick of the first week. The swell direction from the SW is a bit off the optimum SE, but for clean, lined-up waves at Fish Hoek, that light wind makes all the difference. The afternoon goes a little lumpy as the wind swings cross-shore.
The rest of that week is a write-off, honestly. The 2nd of September sees the swell jump to 8ft (3235 energy) but with howling onshore winds – that’s an expert-only situation, if anyone even bothers. Then we get an absolute gale on the 3rd and 4th with massive SE swell and near-gale force winds. Forget paddle surfing, that looks more like a kitesurfing scene.
We do get a little breather on the morning of the 6th of September. A clean 3ft SW swell with a very long period of 18 seconds and a light cross-off wind. That long period will wrap into the bay nicely, but keep in mind it might break a bit straight on the sandbanks. Still, for a Sunday morning paddle, it’s a good chance.
Now, look ahead to the 11th of September. The Friday afternoon is shaping up as a proper standout. We’ve got a 5ft groundswell from the WSW, a solid period of 15 seconds, and a combined energy of 1252. The wind is light and clean. This has the makings of a very good session. The Saturday after is surfable but a bit messier with that cross-onshore wind.
So, to sum it up: the long wait is for the first Tuesday (1st September) morning and then the second Friday (11th September) afternoon. Those are your windows. The rest is either blown out, too big and messy, or just flat. Keep your eyes on those dates. It’s been a rough start, but it won’t stay this way forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the SSE by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Tue night, strong winds from the SSE by Wed night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | SW 10 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
250 | 215 | 372 | 273 | 501 | 944 | 819 | 514 | 469 | 384 | 524 | 1067 | 1242 | 2171 | 3135 | 2024 | 1037 | 634 | 485 | 1029 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:33PM1.59m | 3:44AM1.50m | 4:01PM1.63m | 4:15AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | 5:03PM1.60m | 5:22AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | 6:01AM1.32m | 6:18PM1.41m | 6:47AM1.20m | 7:10PM1.28m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:44PM0.10m | 9:49AM0.06m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.07m | 10:45PM0.07m | 10:48AM0.10m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:22AM0.17m | 11:55PM0.19m | 11:59AM0.27m | 00:39AM0.30m | 12:45PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.42m | |||||||
— | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
6:23 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 8 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 10 |
138 | 215 | 372 | 257 | 244 | 944 | 819 | 514 | 469 | 384 | 524 | 1067 | 1242 | 2171 | 3135 | 2024 | 1037 | 634 | 341 | 248 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 13 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 7 | S 10 | SSW 14 | — | — | SSW 18 | — | — | — | S 11 | SSW 10 | SW 11 |
250 | 72 | 89 | 62 | 501 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 105 | — | — | 854 | — | — | — | 83 | 85 | 185 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | ESE 8 | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
34 | 58 | 36 | 6 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 37 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 10 | — | — | S 10 | SSE 7 | — | — | SE 3 | — | — | — | SE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
— | — | — | 273 | — | — | 8 | 76 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 100 | 342 | 654 | 357 | 485 | 1029 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 339 | 43 | 339 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 25 | 25 | 401 | 399 | 909 | 2771 | 227 |
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.











