Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
14.5° C
0.9° 

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 18 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 6,307 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s 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 (Jul 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m 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 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sun 19th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 12s
Best Surf11PM (Thu 23rd Jul)10ft (3.0m) 16s
Most Powerful 2AM (Fri 24th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it. We've got a solid run of surf on the way for Horse Trails, so let's break it down.

Okay, looking at the big picture, the first few days are a bit of a slow start but nothing to write off. The real action starts to build through the middle of next week, and there are a couple of absolute belters on the horizon.

We'll kick things off this Saturday afternoon, the 18th of July. The swell is a modest 3.3ft from the SW, but it's a long-period groundswell at 13 seconds, which gives it some shape. The water temp is sitting at 58.1°, which is a touch below the norm for this time of year, but nothing to cry about. The wind is a light cross-onshore, so expect a bit of texture on the surface. It's a marginal session, but it's a start.

Sunday the 19th looks a bit better. The morning shows a 4.6ft SW swell with a 12-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore. That's a major plus. The afternoon sees a jump to 6.2ft from the SW with an 11-second period, and the wind swings straight onshore, making the surface messy. The morning is the pick here.

Monday the 20th is a classic early start. The morning is glassy, with light winds and a 5.6ft SW swell. The period drops to 9 seconds, so it's a bit more wind-swell, but the clean conditions will make it fun. The afternoon gets a bit weaker and the wind goes onshore, so the morning is the go.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 21st is the standout. The morning kicks off with a 6.2ft SW swell, a long 14-second period, and glassy conditions. The energy is solid, with a combined energy of 1516, indicating moderate to strong wave energy. The afternoon is even better – the swell pushes up to 7.9ft, still from the SW, still with that 14-second period, and still glassy. The energy jumps to 2118. This is excellent, experienced surfer territory. The waves will have real power and long, clean lines. The optimal swell direction for this break is SW, and that's exactly what we've got. Get out there.

Wednesday the 22nd holds size, with a 6.9ft SW swell and a 12-second period in the morning. The wind is cross-offshore, so it's clean. The afternoon, however, gets a bit messy with a 25 km/h cross-shore. Ride the morning session.

Thursday the 23rd is a solid 7.2ft from the WSW, but the wind is a cross-onshore, putting some chop on the face. The energy is high at 2095, but the conditions are just OK.

Friday the 24th is a massive one, but for experts only. The morning shows a 9.8ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period and glassy conditions. The combined energy is a whopping 3936, which is very strong wave energy. The wind is perfect, but the swell is too big for most. This is for the big-wave crew only. The same goes for the afternoon, with the same size and a cross-onshore wind.

Saturday the 25th is a good one for the experienced. The morning brings a 7.9ft SW swell, a 13-second period, and a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is 1912. This is another excellent session.

Sunday the 26th is a good all-rounder. The morning is glassy with a 5.6ft SW swell and an 11-second period. The energy is moderate at 953. The afternoon drops to 3.6ft but with a very long 16-second period, which is a beautiful groundswell, but a cross-onshore wind will spoil it a bit. Stick to the morning.

The following week has some promise, but it's a bit of a mixed bag. Monday the 27th has a 6.9ft SW swell but the wind is a messy cross-shore, so give it a miss. Tuesday the 28th is another big one – 11.5ft SW with a 15-second period, but the wind is favorable. The energy is 5070, which is extremely strong. Again, experts only.

The end of the month and start of August look promising. Wednesday the 30th is a solid 8.2ft SSW swell, but the wind is a strong 35 km/h cross-offshore, making it clean but very windy. The energy is 2071. It's a battle.

The true final standout comes on Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning brings a 8.2ft SW swell with a massive 17-second period – that's a very long, powerful groundswell. The energy is 3846, it's glassy, and the wind is offshore. This is a serious swell. For a sandbar break like Horse Trails, a period this long can make the waves break a bit straight and fast, but with that much energy and offshore wind, there will be some epic, freight-train barrels for the experienced crew. The afternoon holds similar size at 7.9ft with a 16-second period, but the wind goes onshore, so the morning is the call.

In summary: Tuesday the 21st for the best all

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sat
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
2
2
3
2
1
2
4
4
4
2
0
3
2
2
!
!
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SW
13
1.4
SW
12
1.4
SW
12
1.9
SW
11
2.1
SW
10
1.7
SW
9
1.4
SW
8
0.8
SSW
16
1.9
SW
14
2.4
SW
14
2.3
SW
13
2.1
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2.3
WSW
11
2.2
WSW
11
2.1
WSW
12
3.5
SW
16
3
SW
14
3
SW
14
3
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
315
574
561
819
859
481
279
322
1428
2094
1645
1261
1293
1328
1162
1102
6307
3936
2995
2802
Wind (km/h)
10
WNW
10
N
15
N
5
SW
5
NE
5
N
10
WSW
0
NE
5
NNE
5
WSW
5
NNE
15
N
25
NNW
15
NNE
10
NNW
10
W
5
NNW
5
SSE
10
S
15
SE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
on
glassy
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
6:19PM1.52m
6:38AM1.28m
7:01PM1.42m
7:23AM1.17m
7:45PM1.31m
8:15AM1.07m
8:37PM1.19m
9:22AM1.00m
9:43PM1.11m
10:48AM0.98m
11:05PM1.08m
12:11PM1.02m
00:19AM1.11m
Low Tide
00:39AM0.23m
12:39PM0.27m
1:24AM0.33m
1:21PM0.39m
2:14AM0.43m
2:09PM0.51m
3:14AM0.51m
3:14PM0.60m
4:34AM0.55m
4:48PM0.64m
5:57AM0.53m
6:16PM0.61m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:47
7:46
7:46
7:45
7:45
7:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
5:59
6:00
6:00
 mm
1
Temp °C
17
15
14
15
14
13
14
13
13
14
13
13
15
14
15
16
14
15
17
16
Feels °C
16
14
12
14
14
12
12
12
12
12
13
9
10
10
14
14
14
15
15
15
  • 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