Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
13.1°C
2.5° 

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 25 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 14s period, SW swell with 1,977 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period with WSW 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 (Aug 26) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 8s. 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 2.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Wed 26th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 13s
Best Surf 8AM (Wed 26th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 2PM (Tue 25th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about Horse Trails. We've got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with a serious wait for the real good stuff.

Right off the bat, Tuesday morning the 25th is a bit of a tease. There's a solid 7ft SW groundswell rolling in with a long 14-second period and a chunky combined energy reading of 2074, but it’s just not coming together perfectly. The cross-off wind from the SSE at 12 mph will keep things reasonably clean, but the wave comment flags "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." The water's sitting at 56°, which is 5° colder than usual for this time of year; that's a pretty noticeable chill. The afternoon gets a bit messier with a cross-shore wind and a cross-chop, so it's not the best.

Wednesday the 26th is more promising. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the WSW, and we get clean conditions in the morning with a light cross-off ESE breeze. It's a bit smaller, but the quality looks better with the "expect very good surf conditions" note. The afternoon is similar with a lighter breeze.

Thursday the 27th sees the wind switch onshore, killing the quality. That little run of decent surf is over pretty quickly. We then hit a long, dull stretch where the surf is marginal to poor. The wave heights stay small, often under 5ft, and when they do pick up late on the 29th, the wind is cross-onshore and messy. This lull runs right through to the end of August and into the first day of September.

Now, here's where things get wild. Around Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell really starts to stack up. By the afternoon, we're forecasting a 10ft SW swell. The guidance says the wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are even bigger - we're looking at 12ft and even 15ft SW/SSW swells with combined energy readings hitting 5296 and 5330. The wind is favorable (cross-off from the ESE, even glassy on the 3rd afternoon), but this is expert territory only, and the forecast notes it's simply too big for Horse Trails.

The standout is Friday the 4th of September. The swell has backed off to a very surfable 7ft from the SW, but the real story is the morning glass-off. The wind is glassy, and the wave comment says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is the session to circle. The 7ft is a bit much for beginners, but for anyone comfortable in overhead surf, this is the pick of the whole forecast. The afternoon gets a little more mixed with a light cross-shore.

After that, we get a mix of small to moderate swell, with another notable window on the morning of Sunday the 6th of September - a clean 5ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period. After that, the run fades out into poor surf with onshore winds and dropping energy towards the 9th, so the second week really only has that one Friday 4th standout and a brief glimmer on that Sunday.

So, keep an eye on the 4th of September for the best chance of some truly clean, solid waves. The rest of the forecast is a waiting game.

Stay frothy,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
0
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.2
SW
14
2.1
WSW
14
1.8
WSW
13
1.4
WSW
13
1.3
WSW
12
1.3
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
11
1.2
S
11
0.8
WSW
16
1.2
WSW
14
1.2
WSW
13
1.4
WSW
13
1.7
WSW
14
1.5
WSW
14
1.7
WSW
13
1.8
WSW
12
1.7
WSW
12
1.8
SW
12
1.7
SW
11
1.5
SW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1949
1686
1151
659
525
394
471
455
351
280
553
447
653
1206
829
880
986
776
857
690
505
Wind (km/h)
15
SE
20
SSE
15
ESE
15
ESE
10
SE
5
NNW
10
NW
10
WSW
5
SE
10
SSE
10
SSE
10
SSE
10
SW
10
SSW
10
SSE
20
S
25
S
20
S
20
S
20
S
5
SSE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
glassy
cross
cross
cross
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
High Tide
2:08PM1.31m
2:13AM1.33m
2:36PM1.42m
2:44AM1.41m
3:04PM1.52m
3:14AM1.47m
3:32PM1.59m
3:44AM1.50m
4:01PM1.63m
4:16AM1.50m
4:31PM1.63m
4:48AM1.47m
5:03PM1.59m
Low Tide
8:17PM0.34m
8:27AM0.21m
8:46PM0.24m
8:54AM0.14m
9:15PM0.16m
9:21AM0.09m
9:44PM0.10m
9:49AM0.07m
10:14PM0.07m
10:18AM0.07m
10:45PM0.07m
10:48AM0.11m
11:18PM0.11m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:13
7:11
7:11
7:09
7:09
7:07
7:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:22
6:22
6:23
6:24
6:24
6:25
6:27
 mm
Temp °C
15
19
17
17
24
22
18
18
16
19
21
17
17
17
15
16
16
14
15
15
13
Feels °C
11
15
14
14
23
21
15
15
16
18
19
15
16
15
14
13
12
9
11
11
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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