Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 02 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
12.8°C
2.7° 

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 2 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 18s period, SW swell with 2,292 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. 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 1.9m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore 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 (Sep 10) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 3rd Sep)7.5ft (2.3m) 13s
Best Surf 5AM (Fri 4th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful11AM (Sun 6th Sep)6ft (1.9m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, let's get into it. Rusty here, and we're looking at a wild ride ahead for Horse Trails, a sandbar setup that’s fairly exposed to the southwest.

This forecast kicks off with a bang on Thursday the 3rd. The morning session is looking like the absolute standout of the whole run. We’ve got a solid 6ft groundswell rolling in from the southwest with a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is pumping at 1143 (moderate wave energy), and conditions are set to be clean. That morning is the one to circle.

But hold on to your board shorts, because things get messy real quick. By Thursday afternoon, the wind howls up to 28 mph from the SSE, turning the 12ft swell into a complete mess. That afternoon is a write-off.

Friday the 4th is also a tough one. The swell stays big, with 8ft in the morning and 10ft in the afternoon, but that strong breeze stays onshore and makes it unsurfable. Saturday the 5th is looking marginal, with a dropping swell but still dirty wind. Not your day.

Now, here’s the next real highlight. Sunday the 6th morning. We’ve got a 6ft southwest groundswell, but check out the period: 18 seconds. That is very long-period energy, packing a punch at 2435 (strong wave energy). The wind is light, but it's cross-off, keeping things clean. This is prime for the more experienced crew, but that long period will make it a bit wonky for the beach breaks.

The next week is a mixed bag of onshore winds and dropping swell, with a few flashes of hope. Monday the 7th is okay, but that wind is cross-shore. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th are small and messy.

The next standout pops up a week away, on Saturday the 12th. Morning has a 8ft SW swell with a clean cross-off breeze – a bit big but rideable for the keen. Then, on Sunday the 13th morning, we get some glass. The wind goes to nothing—completely glassy—with a 4ft SW swell at 12 seconds and an energy of 1028 (moderate). That is a true window of perfection for the skilled surfer who can handle a bit of size from the day before.

After that, it’s a slow fade into smaller, cleaner waves for the middle of the following week, with a small 3ft groundswell on Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th, but with variable wind. The very end of the run, on Thursday the 17th, sees a huge 12ft SW swell pop up, but the cross-shore wind will be howling. That’s strictly for the big-wave chargers, or frankly, the kite surfers, because that setup will be a washing machine for a paddle board.

Best on offer:
- Thursday morning (Sep 3): 6ft SW, 1143 energy, clean cross-off breeze. The classic start.
- Sunday morning (Sep 6): 6ft SW at 18 seconds, 2435 energy, light cross-off. For the experienced, a serious groundswell treat.
- Sunday morning (Sep 13): 4ft SW, 1028 energy, completely glassy. A rare moment of perfection.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Wed night, strong winds from the SSE by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
0
0
0
!
2
2
1
3
4
3
3
3
2
3
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.3
WSW
13
1.7
WSW
13
3.5
S
10
3
S
9
2.3
S
9
3
SSE
8
2
SSE
8
2
SSE
8
0.9
SSW
10
1.1
SW
21
1.9
SW
18
1.8
SW
16
1.6
SW
15
1.9
SW
14
1.8
SW
13
1.2
SSW
12
1
SSW
12
0.9
SSW
11
0.8
WSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1700
949
1929
1285
874
1045
523
513
160
968
2292
1611
1155
1349
1083
384
285
183
264
Wind (km/h)
10
NE
5
ESE
45
SSE
45
SSE
45
SE
30
SE
15
ESE
20
ESE
20
SE
15
ESE
10
ESE
10
S
10
N
15
NW
10
WNW
5
NNW
10
NW
15
SW
5
SE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross
on
glassy
High Tide
6:49AM1.20m
7:11PM1.27m
7:57AM1.08m
8:31PM1.15m
9:47AM1.03m
10:28PM1.12m
11:37AM1.12m
00:03AM1.20m
12:46PM1.27m
1:05AM1.32m
1:34PM1.43m
1:53AM1.44m
Low Tide
00:39AM0.29m
12:46PM0.40m
1:38AM0.41m
1:56PM0.53m
3:14AM0.50m
3:58PM0.59m
5:14AM0.47m
5:54PM0.50m
6:31AM0.35m
7:02PM0.34m
7:23AM0.22m
7:50PM0.20m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:01
7:01
6:58
6:58
6:56
6:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:28
6:29
6:29
6:30
6:30
6:31
6:31
 mm
Temp °C
14
15
16
15
15
18
13
16
22
18
20
25
24
20
18
16
18
18
16
Feels °C
13
14
9
7
6
10
8
11
18
15
18
24
23
18
16
16
17
16
16
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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