Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,141 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with SSW 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 11s. 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 2.4m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) 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 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk waves. The water out at Horse Trails is cold, real cold—about 3° colder than normal for this time of year. Bring the 5/4 and a hood.
For the next couple of days, it’s going to be pretty average. This Friday afternoon has some small swell but it’s bumpy and the tide is iffy. Not worth the paddle. Saturday is flat and messy, so save your energy. Sunday sees a bit more push—about 2.3m of southwest swell—but it’s still cross-shore and not that clean. There's some decent energy in the water (1674), but it's not lining up.
Monday is a step backwards, smaller and choppier. Same for Tuesday morning. Not great.
Then things get interesting. Tuesday morning, August 25th is the one to circle. We’re looking at 8ft of southwest groundswell with a long 14-second period. That's a proper groundswell, with light cross-offshore winds keeping the face clean. This is going to be excellent for the experienced crew, and the energy reading is way up there at 2267.
After that, things ease off. Wednesday has some clean, small waves again. There’s a bit of a lull from Thursday into the weekend.
Then, Friday morning, August 28th looks like another good one. A clean 4ft southwest swell with light offshore winds. It won’t be big, but it will be perfect. And if you can make it out that afternoon, it goes glassy with the same size swell. That’s a great window.
Saturday the 29th gets wrecked by strong winds, so don’t bother. The swell then tries to come in big on Sunday the 30th, but it’s too much for this spot. We’re talking 13ft and 10ft. That’s not surfable for most people, it’s just a big, unruly mess.
Once that clears, there’s a few days of nothing much. But Tuesday morning, September 1st shows real promise again: a clean 6ft southwest groundswell with light offshores. That’s another winner. The week after is a mixed bag with onshore winds, but Friday morning, September 4th shapes up clean with a 6ft southerly swell and offshores. Another good option.
So, the top picks? Tuesday the 25th is the big one. Tuesday the 1st is a close second. And those Friday mornings on the 28th and the 4th are worth getting up for.
Horse Trails can get busy, so get there early for the clean waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 10 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 388 | 443 | 397 | 721 | 1606 | 1532 | 1177 | 828 | 370 | 1053 | 2141 | 1799 | 1235 | 837 | 466 | 338 | 363 | 286 | 229 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:25PM0.98m | 11:54AM0.96m | 00:06AM1.04m | 12:58PM1.07m | 1:01AM1.13m | 1:36PM1.19m | 1:40AM1.24m | 2:08PM1.31m | 2:13AM1.33m | 2:36PM1.42m | 2:44AM1.41m | 3:04PM1.52m | 3:14AM1.47m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:32AM0.61m | 6:08PM0.66m | 6:46AM0.52m | 7:07PM0.56m | 7:27AM0.41m | 7:45PM0.45m | 7:59AM0.30m | 8:17PM0.34m | 8:27AM0.21m | 8:46PM0.24m | 8:54AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.16m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — |
 | 6:20 | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 10 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 |
| kJ | 388 | 443 | 397 | 721 | 1606 | 1532 | 1177 | 828 | 370 | 1053 | 2141 | 1799 | 1235 | 837 | 403 | 338 | 363 | 286 | 229 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 14 | — | — | — | SW 13 | SSW 11 | WSW 11 | — | — | S 8 | S 8 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
| kJ | 317 | 176 | 121 | 501 | — | — | — | 43 | 200 | 194 | — | — | 221 | 127 | 466 | 299 | 215 | 207 | 173 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | — | WSW 17 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 14 |
| kJ | 77 | — | 29 | 103 | — | — | — | — | 151 | — | — | — | — | 95 | 130 | 120 | 21 | 150 | 189 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | S 5 | SSW 10 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 7 | — | SSE 7 | — | N 3 | NW 3 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | 663 | 97 | 206 | 349 | — | 154 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 93 | 0 | 2 | 401 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 31 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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