Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 3,688 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Horse Trails in the next 16 days are 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2AM. 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+) | 8AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a big clean-up job ahead. The surf is poor for the next few days, so there’s a gap right at the start. The first real sniff of anything decent doesn’t come until the morning of Tuesday, 1st of September, and that’s the standout of the whole run.
The Standout: Tuesday, 1st of September (Morning)
Tuesday morning at Horse Trails is your absolute best bet. The swell is a solid 8ft from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds, so there’s real groundswell energy behind it. The combined energy is a massive 2429, which is strong. But the real magic is the wind – it’s glassy. That’s a major positive. The conditions are clean, and the water is 55°F, which is 5°F colder than normal for this time of year, so that’s notably chilly. You’ll want a thick suit. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – it’s a bit too big for beginners.
The Rest of the Week
The system hangs around. Tuesday afternoon, the swell jumps to 10ft, still from the SW with a 13-second period, and the wind turns onshore. That’s too big for this break, and it’s gonna be a wall of whitewater. Wednesday is the same story – 10ft, cross-on wind, and the energy is still around 3169. Big, but messy.
By Thursday and Friday, the swell drops to 8ft, but the wind gets strong and cross-off. It’ll look clean from the beach, but the period drops to 9 seconds, so the waves will be lumpy and weak. The combined energy is still high, but the quality isn’t there.
The Second Week
We hit a flat spell. From Saturday the 5th onwards, the swell drops to 5ft and below, with short, choppy periods. There’s a tiny window on Sunday morning, the 6th, with a 4ft, 15-second groundswell, but the wind is cross-off, and the energy is only 914. The crowds are possible here, but honestly, it’s not worth fighting for.
The real low point is from the 8th to the 9th of September – waves barely 2ft and weak. The 9th afternoon actually goes glassy, but with a 2ft, 13-second swell, it’s just a tiny, groundswell bump. Not worth the paddle.
Late Outlook
Things get a little more interesting around the 10th of September, with a 6ft, 12-second swell pushing in, but the wind is cross-on, and it’s marginal. The 13th of September has a Sunday afternoon glass-off with a 4ft, 12-second long-period swell, and the energy is 376. That’s a small, clean window, but it’s a long way off.
Overall, if you’re free, set your alarm for the morning of Tuesday, 1st of September. That’s the one. The rest of the run is a lot of waiting and watching.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 821 | 1237 | 2429 | 3208 | 3688 | 3169 | 2682 | 1700 | 1291 | 1172 | 847 | 854 | 671 | 264 | 261 | 193 | 648 | 606 | 649 | 422 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:23AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | 6:02AM1.31m | 6:19PM1.41m | 6:49AM1.20m | 7:11PM1.27m | 7:57AM1.08m | 8:31PM1.15m | 9:47AM1.03m | 10:28PM1.12m | 11:37AM1.12m | 00:03AM1.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:22AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | 11:59AM0.28m | 00:39AM0.29m | 12:46PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.41m | 1:56PM0.53m | 3:14AM0.50m | 3:58PM0.59m | 5:14AM0.47m | 5:54PM0.50m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 17 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SSE 7 | SSW 10 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 821 | 1237 | 2429 | 3208 | 3688 | 3169 | 2682 | 1700 | 934 | 754 | 392 | 143 | 93 | 69 | 140 | 63 | 648 | 606 | 649 | 422 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 9 | SSW 10 | — | — | S 14 | SW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 10 | WSW 10 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 110 | 328 | — | — | 4 | 59 | 17 | 75 | 39 | 106 | 120 | 99 | 92 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 15 | — | — | — | — | SW 11 | WSW 10 | S 9 | SW 10 | SSW 17 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 69 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 58 | 38 | 24 | 188 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | — | SSE 8 | — |
| kJ | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1291 | 1172 | 847 | 854 | 671 | 264 | 261 | 193 | 139 | — | 187 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 104 | 904 | 164 | 1436 | 3872 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
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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