Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
13.7° C
1.7° 

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 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 4,815 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s 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 (Aug 04) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. 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 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Tue 4th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 11s
Best Surf11PM (Wed 5th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 8PM (Fri 7th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

We’ve got a solid 16-day window at Horse Trails, and it’s a real mixed bag of a forecast. The opening act is a bit of a tease, but the real meat shows up mid-month.

Tuesday morning, the 4th of August, is where we start. It’s a bit of a slow starter with some clouds overhead and a light 5 ft SW swell rolling in. The period is a nice 11 seconds, so it’s got some decent shape to it. The wind is glassy from the ESE, making it as clean as it gets. The water is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 57°F – a noticeable 3°F below the norm, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit. The combined energy is moderate (484). It’s a lovely morning, but the scores are a bit underwhelming; it’s more of a warm-up session than a standout.

The rest of the first week is a write-off. Wednesday the 5th gets messy with a strong NNW cross-wind, and while the swell jumps to 7 ft with a 16-second period, the chop makes it ugly. Thursday through Saturday sees the swell pump up to 10 ft and even 12 ft, with a long period around 14-15 seconds, but the wind is always cross or cross-on. The energy is strong (3601 on Friday morning), but the break is simply too big for comfort. This is a beach-and-sandbar set-up, and with that volume and cross-chop, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing session than a paddle-surfing one. Sunday the 9th is a total loss with 28 mph winds and rain.

Now, the turnaround. Monday the 10th of August afternoon is the first real glimmer of hope. The swell drops to 6 ft from the S at 10 seconds, but the wind goes clean and cross-off from the ESE. That’s the start of a good run.

The standout, without a doubt, is Wednesday the 12th of August. The whole day is a beauty. The morning starts with a 6 ft SW swell (18-second period – that’s proper groundswell) and a light offshore wind from the NE. It’s clean, it’s powerful, and the combined energy hits 2190. The afternoon is just as good with 7 ft and a 17-second period. This is the best on offer – a dedicated session for experienced surfers. The longer period means it’ll be a bit more lined up and heavy, so keep that in mind for the sandbar set-up.

Thursday the 13th is also a ripper. Morning brings a 8 ft WSW swell at 17 seconds with clean cross-off wind, and the energy is massive at 3748. The afternoon goes glassy from the SE on a 8 ft WSW swell. That’s another top-tier window.

The run continues into Friday the 14th with a clean 6 ft swell in the morning, but the wind shifts onshore by the afternoon. The weekend gets a bit sloppy again, but nothing terrible.

The long-range forecast has another promising window starting Monday the 17th of August, but it’s a bit of a wild card. The swell is huge – 13 ft on Monday morning with a 14-second period, and the energy is through the roof at 6398. That’s a very, very big swell for this spot. It’s likely just for experts, and only if the wind plays ball. The following days look cleaner but still big. Keep an eye on it, but for now, the 12th and 13th are your golden days.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the SSE by Sun morning).

Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
2
1
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
2
2
0
0
0
3
2
3
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
11
1.2
SW
11
0.8
SW
15
2
SW
16
2.3
SW
15
3.5
WSW
14
3
WSW
13
3
SW
13
3
SW
13
3
SW
14
3.5
SW
15
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
13
2.5
SW
13
3
SW
13
3.5
SW
12
3.5
SSW
10
2.5
SW
11
2
S
10
1.8
S
10
1.3
S
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
431
332
301
1904
2233
4163
3425
3113
3168
3601
4682
3827
2376
2305
3031
3167
2858
1402
771
575
270
Wind (km/h)
5
ESE
5
SSW
10
N
25
NNW
25
NNW
25
N
10
E
15
SSE
15
SE
10
SSE
10
SSE
5
SSE
10
SSW
10
W
25
S
45
SSE
35
SSE
25
SE
20
ESE
10
ESE
10
E
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
6:48PM1.41m
7:15AM1.19m
7:38PM1.32m
8:20AM1.10m
8:48PM1.23m
9:52AM1.05m
10:22PM1.20m
11:32AM1.10m
11:55PM1.25m
12:48PM1.23m
1:05AM1.35m
1:45PM1.37m
2:00AM1.45m
Low Tide
12:25PM0.29m
1:09AM0.31m
1:11PM0.39m
2:07AM0.39m
2:13PM0.48m
3:28AM0.44m
3:47PM0.55m
5:09AM0.43m
5:37PM0.51m
6:32AM0.33m
6:57PM0.39m
7:32AM0.21m
7:55PM0.25m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:35
7:35
7:33
7:33
7:31
7:31
7:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:07
6:08
6:09
6:09
6:10
6:12
6:12
 mm
2
8
10
3
1
Temp °C
18
19
15
14
17
14
12
12
12
13
14
13
12
14
13
13
12
12
11
14
12
Feels °C
17
17
14
10
12
11
12
10
8
11
12
11
10
12
11
7
3
5
6
10
8
  • 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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