
Surf Forecasts:
Haardebaai surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,718 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 17s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Haardebaai this week:
The surf forecast for Haardebaai over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 17s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Haardebaai in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Haardebaai over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it. Haardebaai, this is a reef setup that takes a bit of know-how to handle, so it's not for the faint of heart.
The next couple of days are pretty much a write-off. Tuesday and Wednesday are blown out with strong cross-onshore winds. That SSW swell is pushing up to 6 feet, but with that wind, it's just messy. The wave energy is moderate, but you’re fighting a losing battle.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday the 13th. We've got a solid 8-foot SW swell (period 17 seconds, so that's a long-period groundswell) and the wind drops right off. On the morning, it's light cross-shore with some ripples, but the energy is strong. This spot is a reef, so that long period might actually set up nicely here. Not perfect, but a big step up from the junk before it.
Now, Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are looking like the standouts of the first week. Friday we see 6 feet from the WSW with clean conditions on a light cross-offshore breeze. Saturday is even better – glassy. Zero wind. 6 feet of clean, lined-up swell. The energy is moderate, but the quality will be all-time for a session. Sunday the 16th morning keeps the good run going with an offshore breeze and 5-foot swell, though the afternoon turns a bit cross.
The next big call is Monday the 17th. It’s pushing 8 feet from the WSW, with a clean offshore wind and strong wave energy. That’s expert territory right there. If you've got the skills, that morning session is the one. It gets a bit windier in the afternoon, so hit it early.
Things go a bit sideways again from the 18th through the 20th. The wind swings back onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell gets big and ugly. 12 feet on the 18th with a cross-onshore wind is a washing machine. Kite surfers might have a field day, but it's a hard pass for paddle surfing.
Looking further out, there’s another promising window. The 24th of August shows a 10-foot SW swell Monday morning, but the real gem is Monday afternoon. The wind goes glassy, and we've got an 8-foot SW swell, period 14 seconds. Strong energy and glassy conditions? That's a rare treat and one for the experts.
Tuesday the 25th morning then cleans up with an offshore breeze and a more manageable 6 feet, and Wednesday the 26th starts off dead glassy with a 6-foot SSW swell, though the period is shorter. A nice way to round it out.
So, to cut through it: your absolute best bets are Saturday the 15th for that perfect, glassy, intermediate-friendly size, and Monday the 17th morning for the bigger, punchier, expert-level session. The late window on the 24th also has serious potential, but that's a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.
The water temp is 59°F, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing crazy there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
904 | 475 | 1797 | 2184 | 2191 | 2033 | 3307 | 2379 | 1832 | 1356 | 1319 | 1208 | 1161 | 1144 | 1043 | 1047 | 1677 | 2376 | 2870 | 2499 | 2146 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | off | off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:33PM1.53m | 2:48AM1.55m | 3:14PM1.64m | 3:29AM1.59m | 3:53PM1.70m | 4:08AM1.58m | 4:29PM1.71m | 4:45AM1.53m | 5:04PM1.66m | 5:20AM1.45m | 5:38PM1.57m | 5:55AM1.34m | 6:12PM1.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:21AM0.10m | 8:45PM0.13m | 9:02AM0.02m | 9:28PM0.05m | 9:41AM-0.02m | 10:08PM0.02m | 10:16AM-0.01m | 10:46PM0.04m | 10:51AM0.05m | 11:22PM0.10m | 11:24AM0.14m | 11:56PM0.19m | 11:56AM0.25m | 00:30AM0.31m | |||||||
7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
— | 6:10 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 13 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 |
904 | 475 | 1797 | 2184 | 2191 | 2033 | 3307 | 2379 | 1832 | 1356 | 1319 | 1208 | 1161 | 1144 | 1043 | 1047 | 1677 | 2376 | 2870 | 2499 | 2146 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 26 | SW 24 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 21 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | WSW 16 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 11 |
27 | 358 | 211 | 106 | 51 | 1278 | 386 | 229 | 161 | 204 | 115 | 44 | 29 | 28 | 20 | 11 | 45 | 177 | 38 | 39 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | WSW 10 | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 11 | — | — | — |
5 | 20 | — | 18 | 17 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | — | — | — | WNW 4 | — | — | — | W 6 | SW 7 |
549 | 662 | 785 | 576 | 535 | 692 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 10 | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | 144 | 281 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 29 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 33 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Overberg | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Haardebaai Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Haardebaai provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Haardebaai can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Haardebaai 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 (Haardebaai) 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 Haardebaai 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 Overberg? If you are looking for accommodation near Haardebaai, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Overberg, consider staying in Grabouw which is 30 km (19 miles) away. Other places in and around Overberg where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Hermanus which is 37 km (23 miles) away, Stellenbosch, Kayamnandi and Bellville.











