Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 4,657 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 15s 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 (Sep 06) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, it’s Rusty. Let’s break down what Horse Trails has in store. It’s a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows worth paddling out for.
The first real action hits on Sunday, September 6th. Water temp is a frigid 53°F, which is about 7°F colder than normal—very unusual, so don’t skimp on the rubber. The swell is a solid 6ft out of the SW with a super long 16-second period. That’s a deep, powerful groundswell with an energy reading of 1803. The wind is light from the SE, making it cross-offshore, so the waves will be clean. This is for experienced surfers only—the size and power are real.
Monday the 7th fades a bit with onshore wind spoiling the quality. Tuesday the 8th offers a brief morning glass-off with a smaller 3ft WSW swell (476). It’s clean but weak, fine for a log or a funboard, but nothing special. The middle of the week gets blown out and choppy.
Then, on Thursday, September 10th, the morning brings a massive 10ft SW swell with a 16-second period and an enormous energy reading of 4467. That’s a serious, powerful groundswell. For Horse Trails, this is too big for anyone but experts. The wind is cross-shore, so it won’t be perfect, but if you’re looking for a challenge, that’s your day.
From the 11th through the 16th, we’ve got a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions. There’s plenty of size, often over 7ft, but the wind is strong or onshore, leaving the surface lumpy and choppy. Honestly, with that combo of wind and swell, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through this period.
We get a small window on Friday, September 18th. The morning shows a clean 5ft SW swell with a light offshore east wind at 10 km/h. The period is 12 seconds, and energy is moderate at 728. It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and fun for a couple of hours.
The outlook fades out toward September 21st with onshore wind and smaller swell. Nothing to write home about.
The two true standouts are Sunday the 6th for clean, powerful groundswell for experts, and Thursday the 10th for big, heavy waves if you’ve got the skills. The rest of the run is mostly a wait-and-see.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1707 | 1343 | 1493 | 1155 | 454 | 294 | 140 | 172 | 342 | 295 | 808 | 4467 | 3151 | 1973 | 1452 | 878 | 579 | 1018 | 2354 | 1929 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:03AM1.20m | 12:46PM1.27m | 1:05AM1.32m | 1:34PM1.43m | 1:53AM1.44m | 2:15PM1.57m | 2:33AM1.51m | 2:51PM1.66m | 3:10AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:17AM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:54PM0.50m | 6:31AM0.35m | 7:02PM0.34m | 7:23AM0.22m | 7:50PM0.20m | 8:04AM0.12m | 8:31PM0.08m | 8:41AM0.05m | 9:08PM0.01m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:42PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 25 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 24 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | S 8 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 1707 | 1343 | 1493 | 1155 | 454 | 294 | 140 | 172 | 342 | 295 | 808 | 4467 | 3151 | 1973 | 1452 | 878 | 316 | 1018 | 2354 | 1929 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | — | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 14 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 |
| kJ | 96 | 37 | 9 | — | 303 | 156 | 117 | 140 | 21 | 9 | 331 | — | — | — | — | 40 | 553 | 160 | 185 | 102 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 9 | — | SW 18 | WSW 16 | S 10 | S 9 | W 11 | SE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 12 | SSE 8 | — | S 9 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | — | 13 | 26 | 49 | 27 | 21 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 308 | 98 | — | 26 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 2 | SSE 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | — | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 51 | — | 139 | 524 | 293 | 375 | 579 | 424 | 250 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 53 | 2 | 2 | 401 | 341 | 127 | 1266 | 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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