
Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, WSW swell with 4,189 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 11s period. 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, crew, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
First up, we’ve got a stretch of solid, rideable surf on the cards, with a few proper gems hidden in the mix. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year, so nothing crazy there. We’re looking at a good run of southwest groundswell hitting Horse Trails, a fairly consistent sandbar that can handle a bit of size.
The week kicks off on Monday the 10th with a clean but somewhat average 5.9ft of SW swell. The cross-off wind will keep things tidy, but it’s not really setting the world on fire. Tuesday the 11th looks better, with that swell easing slightly to 6.2ft but the period stretching out. That's when things start to get interesting.
But if you want the real standout of this first week, you have to look at Wednesday the 12th. That’s the day. The swell drops just a touch to 5.9ft, but the period jumps up to a very healthy 18 seconds – proper long-period groundswell. The energy is strong, and with light offshore winds forecast for both the morning and afternoon, conditions are going to be nothing short of excellent for experienced surfers. This is a day for the bigger board and a bit of patience, as those long-period sets will have some real push.
Thursday the 13th sees the swell building to a bigger 7.9ft, and the afternoon has a solid offshore wind. This is powerful, expert-level surf. The energy is strong, and it’s moving in the right direction. Definitely not one for the beginners.
After that, we settle back down into the 5.6ft to 6.2ft range for Friday and Saturday. Friday morning looks spotless, but the winds go a bit cross later on. Saturday the 15th is a sneaky good one – the swell is still a clean 5.9ft, the period is strong, and by afternoon the wind goes totally glassy. That’s a beautiful window for a session.
Sunday the 16th stays in the same range, with the swell picking up again to 7.2ft in the afternoon, but the onshore wind will chop it up a bit. Then we get a big pulse: Monday the 17th brings a 9.8ft swell. That’s serious size, and while the wind is favorable, it’s simply too big for this break. Not the spot that day.
The middle of the week, Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th, settles back down into the 4.9ft to 6.9ft range with clean conditions. Tuesday morning is absolutely glassy with no wind – that’s a real treat. But the sizes are dropping.
The action goes quiet for the 20th and into the 21st, where we see the swell drop right out – poor conditions with onshore winds. It’s a couple of days to give the ocean a rest or fix the dings.
But here’s the second big standout, and it’s a week and a half out, so some caution is warranted. Saturday the 22nd. The forecast is for a clean 7.5ft of SW swell, light winds, and glassy conditions in the morning. That looks like another proper day. And the energy is building beyond that, too.
The 23rd and 24th see a huge pulse of swell, with waves pushing past 9.8ft. The energy readings are very strong. Again, this is too big for Horse Trails. It’s expert-only territory, and likely messy. The 25th calms down a bit to a clean 4.9ft, a nice way to end the run, but the really good stuff is behind us by then.
So, to sum it up: Wednesday the 12th is the absolute standout of the first week – long-period, clean, and powerful. Saturday the 22nd looks like another serious highlight, but it’s a long way out, so treat it as a promise with a pinch of salt. The 17th, 21st, and 23rd are too big for this spot, so skip those.
Stay stoked.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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 | S 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
2046 | 738 | 627 | 2088 | 1071 | 647 | 1850 | 2111 | 1952 | 1916 | 3417 | 3073 | 1933 | 1292 | 1393 | 1226 | 1179 | 1144 | 1144 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:05AM1.35m | 1:45PM1.37m | 2:00AM1.45m | 2:32PM1.51m | 2:47AM1.53m | 3:13PM1.62m | 3:29AM1.57m | 3:52PM1.68m | 4:09AM1.56m | 4:29PM1.69m | 4:46AM1.51m | 5:05PM1.64m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:32AM0.21m | 7:55PM0.25m | 8:19AM0.10m | 8:44PM0.13m | 9:01AM0.02m | 9:27PM0.05m | 9:40AM-0.01m | 10:07PM0.02m | 10:16AM-0.00m | 10:45PM0.03m | 10:51AM0.05m | 11:22PM0.09m | |||||||
— | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
6:12 | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 16 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 |
2046 | 738 | 453 | 2088 | 1071 | 647 | 1850 | 2111 | 1952 | 1916 | 3417 | 3073 | 1933 | 1292 | 1393 | 1226 | 1179 | 1144 | 1144 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 24 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 336 | 66 | 21 | 381 | 350 | 108 | 64 | 890 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 27 | 38 | 247 | 54 | 33 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 9 | S 9 | — | — | SSE 8 | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 480 | 627 | — | — | 175 | — | — | — | 43 | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 164 | 127 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 31 |
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.











