
Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 9,237 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Horse Trails this week:
The surf forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Horse Trails in the next 16 days are 4.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into the outlook for Horse Trails. This is a sandbar set-up that’s fairly consistent and fairly exposed to the swell. It loves a good SW groundswell, and that’s exactly what we’ve got lined up.
The water is sitting at 56°, which is a solid 4° colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a bit of a shock to the system, so don’t forget a good steamer.
The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag. Wednesday morning kicks off with a 4ft WSW swell, but it’s a bit wonky with cross-shore wind and marginal conditions. That afternoon the swell jumps to 8ft, but it’s cross-on and messy. Not really worth paddling out for.
Then we get a real gem on Thursday morning. The 16th of July, Thursday morning, is the standout. The swell is a solid 8ft from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, packing a lot of energy (3058). But the real magic is the wind. It’s glassy. Dead flat. That’s going to make Horse Trails look absolutely pristine. It’s a bit on the chunky side at 8ft, so this is for the experienced crew. The crowd factor is “sometimes” here, so you might have a few mates out, but it won’t be a circus.
Friday morning, the 17th, is still clean with glassy conditions and a 6ft SW swell. The period has dropped to 11 seconds, so it’s a bit more manageable, but still excellent. Friday afternoon stays glassy with a 6ft wave. Good, but not as good as Thursday.
Saturday the 18th starts small at 3ft, but it’s glassy. That afternoon the wind goes offshore and the swell picks up to 6ft with a longer period. It’s a solid option for a fun session.
Sunday the 19th is a drop-off. The swell is around 5ft, but the wind goes onshore and then cross-shore, making it messy. Not great.
We then hit a real lull from Monday the 20th through Tuesday the 21st. Monday drops to 4ft then 3ft with poor conditions. It’s a dead spot.
Then things get wild. On Tuesday the 21st of July, the swell absolutely detonates. We’re looking at 15ft from the SW with a 15-second period. The combined energy is a massive 8525. This is huge, dangerous, and honestly, too big for this break. It’s for experts only, and even then, it’s a serious mission. The wind is favorable, but that size is just a beast. That kind of energy continues through Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd, with 16ft wave heights. This is not a paddle session; this is a major event. If you’re not a big-wave charger, stay on the beach.
Things settle down a little by Friday the 24th. The morning is clean with a 8ft SW swell, but it’s still a lot of power. That’s another good one for the experienced crowd.
The following week, from the 25th to the 30th, we see a lot of big swell in the 7ft to 10ft range, but the wind is often cross-on or cross-shore, making it messy. The real highlight there is the morning of Sunday the 26th. It’s clean, cross-off wind, with a 8ft SW swell. That’s a solid, clean wave. The 30th of July morning also looks promising with a 7ft clean swell and cross-off wind.
Overall, the absolute best on offer is Thursday morning, July 16th. Glassy conditions, 8ft of long-period SW groundswell. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.
Stay safe out there, and don’t get caught inside on those big days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | WSW 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
963 | 2982 | 3558 | 2381 | 1671 | 1088 | 787 | 635 | 377 | 180 | 878 | 760 | 638 | 595 | 307 | 344 | 132 | 459 | 8525 | 8347 | 4835 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:12PM1.61m | 4:28AM1.54m | 4:55PM1.63m | 5:12AM1.48m | 5:37PM1.59m | 5:55AM1.39m | 6:19PM1.52m | 6:38AM1.28m | 7:01PM1.42m | 7:23AM1.17m | 7:45PM1.31m | 8:15AM1.07m | 8:37PM1.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:58AM-0.00m | 10:25PM0.08m | 10:40AM0.01m | 11:11PM0.09m | 11:20AM0.07m | 11:55PM0.15m | 12:00PM0.16m | 00:39AM0.23m | 12:39PM0.27m | 1:24AM0.33m | 1:21PM0.39m | 2:14AM0.43m | 2:09PM0.51m | 3:14AM0.51m | |||||||
7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | |
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | WSW 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 11 | SW 9 | WSW 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
963 | 2982 | 3558 | 2381 | 1671 | 1088 | 787 | 635 | 377 | 180 | 878 | 760 | 638 | 595 | 307 | 344 | 107 | 292 | 8525 | 8347 | 4835 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | S 11 | S 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | SW 11 | S 10 | SW 10 | SSW 11 | — | — | — |
165 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 51 | 146 | 112 | 198 | 231 | 218 | 241 | 122 | 132 | 459 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | WSW 12 | S 10 | SW 12 | SW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | S 9 | W 9 | — | — | — |
59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 123 | 49 | 32 | 118 | 155 | 158 | 90 | 79 | 40 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | — | N 4 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 9 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 37 | 31 | 46 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Horse Trails Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Horse Trails provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Horse Trails can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Horse Trails 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 (Horse Trails) 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 Horse Trails 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.
Horse Trails 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.










