Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,882 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Horse Trails in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, grab a coffee, let’s talk about what’s headed our way.
First up, the water is running *much colder than normal* for this time of year, sitting at 54.7°F with a -5.4°F anomaly. That’s a proper bite in the air, so a 4/3 is your friend.
The upcoming window is a real mixed bag of quality. We’ve got a good run of days ahead, but there are a couple of serious standouts you won’t want to miss. The pattern starts with a building swell, but the wind is messy at first.
Saturday afternoon, 5th September: The first surf on offer is at Horse Trails. It’s a sandbar setup, fairly exposed. The swell is 5.6ft from the S, period 9 seconds. The wind is a cross-off from the SE at 12 mph, which is clean. Combined swell energy is moderate (865). It’s marginal surf, though – the tide might be a factor. Score is low, so it’s a warm-up session at best.
Sunday, 6th September: Morning brings a jump in size – 7.2ft from the SW with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy jumps to strong (3069). The wind is a cross-off ESE at 9 mph, clean. It’s still marked marginal, but the afternoon session is where it’s at. The swell drops slightly to 6.2ft from the SW, period 16 seconds, wind goes light SE at 6 mph, cross-off. The energy is strong (1953). This is rated as *excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers*. The peak of this one is a true standout.
Monday, 7th September: The real gem. Monday morning is the best on offer. The swell is 6.6ft from the SW, period 14 seconds, and the wind is NW at 3 mph, absolutely *glassy*. That’s a major positive. Clean, calm, offshore conditions. Combined energy is strong (1508). The rating says *excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers*. At 6.6ft, it’s a solid size for intermediates, but the power is real. The afternoon goes cross-on and messy, so hit it early.
Tuesday, 8th September: The swell drops hard. 3.3ft from the WSW, period 12 seconds. Wind goes onshore and then cross-on. Energy drops to moderate (452). The quality falls off a cliff. Poor to marginal.
Wednesday, 9th September: Small and cross-shore. 3.3ft, period 13 seconds. Wind is S at 9-16 mph. Not worth a paddle.
Thursday, 10th September: The second big standout. Thursday morning shows a 8.2ft swell from the SW, period 15 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell. The wind is a light cross-off from the SE at 6 mph, keeping it clean. The combined energy is very strong at 3359. This is rated *excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers*. The size is big, but the power is incredible. The afternoon goes choppy with a cross-on wind.
Friday, 11th September: Wind picks up hard. 19-22 mph from the SSE. 5.9ft from the WSW. The wind is cross and lumpy. Avoid.
Saturday, 12th September: A solid 7.9ft to 8.2ft from the SW, period 16-17 seconds. Very strong energy (3585-3937). The wind is a cross-off from the SE at 16 mph, keeping it clean. This one is marked marginal, but the wind is favorable. The size is getting big, over 8.2ft, so this is for experts only. The period is very long, so it’s better suited to the point or reef, not a straight sandbar.
Sunday, 13th September: Swell drops to 6.9ft from the SW, period
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSE by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 502 | 2326 | 2946 | 1852 | 1343 | 1493 | 1155 | 454 | 294 | 140 | 172 | 342 | 290 | 730 | 3297 | 2948 | 3112 | 1032 | 782 | 549 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:28PM1.12m | 11:37AM1.12m | 00:03AM1.20m | 12:46PM1.27m | 1:05AM1.32m | 1:34PM1.43m | 1:53AM1.44m | 2:15PM1.57m | 2:33AM1.51m | 2:51PM1.66m | 3:10AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:58PM0.59m | 5:14AM0.47m | 5:54PM0.50m | 6:31AM0.35m | 7:02PM0.34m | 7:23AM0.22m | 7:50PM0.20m | 8:04AM0.12m | 8:31PM0.08m | 8:41AM0.05m | 9:08PM0.01m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:42PM-0.01m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 17 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 17 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 10 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 38 | 2326 | 2946 | 1852 | 1343 | 1493 | 1155 | 454 | 294 | 140 | 172 | 342 | 290 | 730 | 3297 | 2948 | 3112 | 1032 | 782 | 549 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 25 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSE 6 | — | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 14 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 15 |
| kJ | 163 | 364 | 123 | 101 | 34 | 12 | — | 361 | 156 | 117 | 140 | 21 | 9 | 284 | — | — | — | — | — | 313 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 25 | SW 10 | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | SW 18 | S 3 | S 10 | S 9 | — | — | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | S 9 |
| kJ | 162 | 23 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 13 | 2 | 49 | 27 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 85 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | — | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 502 | 527 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 21 | 50 | 52 | 62 | 28 | — | 434 | 504 | 375 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 120 | 282 | 1 | 0 | 57 | 401 | 401 | 401 | 2 |
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.
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