
Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,803 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 13s period. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 10s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.
First up, we’ve got a run of swell that’s gonna be a real mixed bag. The opening weekend is a bit of a tease, but there’s some serious power coming through the middle of the week and beyond. The main event is at Horse Trails, a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is a solid 4° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s much colder than normal, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit.
Starting Saturday morning, August 8th, we’ve got some nice clean 8 ft SW swell pushing in with a period of 13 seconds. The wind is a light N breeze at 6 mph, coming cross-offshore. The combined energy is a thumping 2221. That’s moderate to strong energy, and with that light wind, it’s going to be clean. This is a proper expert session though – 8 ft is pushing the limits for most, and the swell is a solid groundswell. That afternoon, things get a bit dicey with onshore wind and a prediction that the 12 ft swell is just too big for this break.
Sunday, August 9th, is a write-off. Strong SSE winds at 22 mph are going to turn it into a lumpy mess. Not worth paddling out.
The real standout window opens up on Tuesday afternoon, August 11th. The morning is marginal, but by the afternoon we’ve got a lovely 5 ft SSW swell at 12 seconds, with a light ESE breeze at 6 mph coming cross-offshore. The combined energy is 1202 – moderate energy – and it’s clean. This is the kind of session you’d paddle out for.
Then, Wednesday and Thursday, August 12th and 13th, are absolute fire. Wednesday morning is a bit of a question mark, but Wednesday afternoon delivers a 6 ft SW swell with a 18-second period – that’s very long period groundswell. The wind is moderate offshore from the E at 12 mph, and the energy is 2075. That’s good, clean, powerful surf. Thursday morning is even better: 8 ft WSW swell, 18 seconds, a gentle offshore breeze from the ENE at 9 mph, and a huge energy of 3663. The wave shape will be incredible at this sandbar, but that long period will make it punchy. Best for experienced surfers.
After that, the middle of the week from August 14th to 19th is a bit more inconsistent, with a lot of cross-on and cross-shore winds. The swell hangs around 6 ft to 7 ft, but the conditions are marginal. Keep an eye on Wednesday afternoon, August 19th: a 8 ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, and the wind goes glassy. That’s pure gold, and the energy is 1516. It’s a standout for a cleaner option in that stretch.
The end of the run from August 20th onward gets weak and messy. Strong SSE winds blow it out. By Saturday, August 22nd, it starts to clean up again with a 6 ft SW swell and a light offshore breeze from the E at 9 mph. The energy is 971, so it’s moderate, but the conditions look good.
Then, on Sunday, August 23rd, we get another big pulse: 12 ft WSW swell with a 12-second period. The combined energy is a massive 3319, and it’s clean. But just like the first weekend, this is too big for this break. It’s a solid expert-only session, if you’ve got the nerve.
The best on offer: If you’re only picking one session, I’d go with Thursday morning, August 13th at Horse Trails. That 8 ft WSW groundswell with a 18-second period, combined with a gentle offshore breeze, is going to be firing. The energy is huge, and it’s going to be clean. The second standout is Wednesday afternoon, August 19th – slightly smaller swell at 8 ft, but that glassy wind is going to make it silky smooth. Both are for experienced surfers, but that’s the call.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Sat morning, strong winds from the SSE by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WSW 22 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2221 | 4499 | 3903 | 3111 | 3077 | 1776 | 1244 | 668 | 2088 | 1159 | 730 | 1541 | 1899 | 1974 | 2201 | 3663 | 2599 | 1608 | 1204 | 1083 | 673 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:32AM1.10m | 11:55PM1.25m | 12:48PM1.23m | 1:05AM1.35m | 1:45PM1.37m | 2:00AM1.45m | 2:32PM1.51m | 2:47AM1.53m | 3:13PM1.62m | 3:29AM1.57m | 3:52PM1.68m | 4:09AM1.56m | 4:29PM1.69m | 4:46AM1.51m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:37PM0.51m | 6:32AM0.33m | 6:57PM0.39m | 7:32AM0.21m | 7:55PM0.25m | 8:19AM0.10m | 8:44PM0.13m | 9:01AM0.02m | 9:27PM0.05m | 9:40AM-0.01m | 10:07PM0.02m | 10:16AM-0.00m | 10:45PM0.03m | ||||||||
7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
— | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 15 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WSW 22 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 |
2221 | 4499 | 3903 | 2256 | — | 1776 | 1244 | 538 | 2088 | 1159 | 730 | 1541 | 1899 | 1974 | 2201 | 3663 | 2599 | 1608 | 1204 | 1083 | 673 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | SSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 24 | S 11 | SSW 10 | SW 10 | SW 21 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 249 | 66 | 42 | 232 | 332 | 187 | 82 | 1325 | — | — | — | — | — | 561 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SSW 11 | SE 8 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | 38 | 207 | 69 | 19 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 12 | SSW 12 | — | — | S 10 | — | — | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 5 | — |
— | — | — | 3111 | 3077 | — | — | 668 | — | — | 202 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 15 | 41 | 456 | 1458 | 2 | 2 | 401 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 6 | 36 | 4 |
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.











