Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 11 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
14.0° C
1.5° 

Horse Trails surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Horse Trails surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,626 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s period with SSW 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 (Jul 11) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 11s. 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2PM (Sat 11th Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 12s
Best Surf 5PM (Wed 15th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 15s
Most Powerful11PM (Wed 15th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.


Alright, let’s talk about Horse Trails in feet and miles. The next 16 days have some real highlights, but also some serious size that’ll only be for the brave. Water temp is 57°, which is a bit colder than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit.

The first good window hits Saturday morning, July 11. Clear skies, a light cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 6 mph, and a solid 7 ft SSW groundswell. The period is a juicy 12 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping at 1356 (moderate to strong). That’s excellent surf for experienced surfers, with clean lines peeling off the sandbar. The swell is a bit too big for beginners, but for the crew who know what they’re doing, it’s a good call. Crowds are possible, so keep an eye out.

Sunday morning, July 12, is still nice with a 5 ft S swell, 11-second period, and light cross-off breeze. Energy drops to 682 (moderate), but it’s clean and very good. After that, things go quiet for a couple of days. Monday morning, July 13, is glassy with a tiny 3 ft swell, and Tuesday is even smaller with poor conditions. You’re looking at a few days of small, average surf.

Then we get a standout on Wednesday morning, July 15. Glassy conditions, a 4 ft SW swell at 11 seconds, and 694 combined energy. Very good, clean surf. But the real story is Wednesday afternoon – a big 10 ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period, and energy through the roof at 3724 (very strong). Wind is light cross-shore. However, this is way too big for beginners, and honestly, for most surfers, it’s going to be a handful. The swell is so long-period that at a sandbar, it might close out and be more of a challenge than a treat. That size is only for experts, and even then, it’s pushing it.

Thursday continues the big swell, with 10 ft on Thursday morning, then 8 ft in the afternoon. Friday, July 17, is even bigger – 12 ft SSW with a strong cross-offshore breeze at 16 mph. That’s again for experts only, and the energy is massive (3344). The next real standout pops up on Saturday morning, July 18. A 7 ft SW swell, 14-second period, cross-offshore wind, and 1596 energy. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful waves.

The following week has a few smaller, glassy windows. Sunday morning, July 19, is tiny at 3 ft but glassy, and Monday is small. The next big excitement comes on Wednesday, July 22 – a 6 ft SW swell, glassy conditions, and 1485 energy. Clean, excellent surf for experienced crew. The weekend of July 25-26 sees another big pulse: 10 ft on Saturday, 12 ft Saturday afternoon, and a massive 13 ft on Sunday morning with glassy conditions. Energy is 8891, which is extreme. This is pure, big-wave territory – only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s a commitment.

Overall, the best bets for most surfers are Saturday morning, July 11, and Saturday morning, July 18. For the brave, Wednesday afternoon, July 15, is a beast, but it’s a gamble.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
3
3
1
2
2
0
2
0
0
2
3
!
!
!
3
!
!
!
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2
SSW
12
1.7
SSW
12
1.8
SSW
11
1.5
S
11
1.2
SSW
11
1.1
SSW
10
0.9
SSW
10
0.9
SSW
10
0.8
W
12
0.9
W
10
0.9
W
10
0.9
W
9
1.2
SW
11
3
SW
15
3.5
SW
14
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
13
3
SW
12
3.5
SSW
13
3
SSW
13
2.5
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1197
833
866
545
337
260
173
163
171
162
156
132
332
3660
4464
2880
2045
2756
3318
3344
3066
Wind (km/h)
10
ESE
10
S
15
ESE
10
ESE
10
SSW
5
E
0
ENE
5
WSW
5
NNE
10
NW
10
WNW
5
N
5
NNW
10
SSE
0
NNW
10
NNW
10
NW
20
SSE
25
SE
15
SE
15
ESE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
off
glassy
on
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
glassy
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
12:49PM1.25m
1:03AM1.41m
1:48PM1.36m
2:02AM1.49m
2:40PM1.47m
2:54AM1.55m
3:27PM1.56m
3:42AM1.56m
4:12PM1.61m
4:28AM1.54m
4:55PM1.63m
5:12AM1.48m
5:37PM1.59m
Low Tide
6:51PM0.37m
7:34AM0.17m
7:53PM0.26m
8:26AM0.08m
8:48PM0.17m
9:14AM0.02m
9:38PM0.10m
9:58AM-0.00m
10:25PM0.08m
10:40AM0.01m
11:11PM0.09m
11:20AM0.07m
11:55PM0.15m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:50
7:50
7:48
7:48
7:48
7:48
7:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:55
 mm
Temp °C
14
18
16
15
18
17
15
17
15
15
16
14
15
15
14
14
15
14
11
14
12
Feels °C
12
16
14
13
16
16
14
15
14
13
13
13
15
14
13
12
12
11
5
9
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Horse Trails:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Horse Trails surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest