Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
13.4° C
2.0° 

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 14 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 5,529 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period with W 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 18s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s is also forecast. 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 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 15th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 9s
Best Surf 8PM (Wed 15th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 2PM (Tue 21st Jul)11ft (3.5m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. The standout spot is Horse Trails, a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent and picks up a lot of SW groundswell. Water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing wild to report.

The first few days are a mixed bag. Wednesday the 15th is a write-off – we’ve got a messy 4ft cross-onshore wind swell with a weak energy reading (1157), and the tide is all wrong. Thursday the 16th starts to look promising. Thursday morning is a real highlight: glassy conditions, 8ft of SW groundswell with a solid 13-second period, and the energy is pumping at 2381. That’s clean, strong, and has some proper grunt to it. It’s a bit on the bigger side for beginners, but for any intermediate surfer, it’s a cracker. Watch out for the crowds though – they’re sometimes around here.

Friday the 17th is still good, with 7ft of SW swell and a clean cross-off wind in the morning, but the energy drops off to 897. It’s a solid session, just not the standout. Saturday the 18th fades significantly – down to 3ft, glassy in the morning but weak, so it’s a small-wave option.

Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th are nothing special, with onshore cross-winds and middling swell. Monday morning does see a glassy 7ft from the SSW (1049 energy), which is a decent workable window. Then things get serious. From Tuesday the 21st right through to the end of the month, the swell pumps up to 10ft to 13ft, and the energy numbers go through the roof – 5544, 6425, 7421. That’s a huge amount of power. But here’s the catch: the forecast says the swell is too big for this break. It’s going to be a washing machine, only for the most experienced experts, and honestly, even then it might be too much. The wind is often cross-off or glassy, but the sheer size will make it chaotic and dangerous for most.

The last couple of days of the month, the 26th and 27th, offer a bit of a reprieve. Sunday the 26th has a clean 7ft from the south with offshore winds, and Monday the 27th brings a beautiful 5ft from the west with clean offshore winds turning glassy in the afternoon. That’s a much more manageable size and quality. The energy is around 1568 to 1342 – solid, but not scary.

So, the best on offer is that Thursday the 16th morning session – glassy, 8ft, good direction, and plenty of energy. The second standout is the more manageable window on Monday the 27th, with clean offshore winds and a nice 5-5ft swell. For the rest of the period, it’s either too small or too big. The long-range big stuff from the 21st onwards is promising for the sheer power, but it’s a gamble – only if you’re a proper charger and you know the break well.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri night, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tue
21
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
!
4
3
3
3
1
2
2
1
2
2
1
3
3
2
3
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
W
9
1.3
WSW
17
2.5
SW
16
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
13
2.3
SW
13
2.1
SW
12
2
SW
11
1.7
SW
10
1.4
SW
10
0.8
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
1.6
SW
12
1.6
SW
12
1.8
SW
11
1.9
SW
11
2
SSW
11
1.8
SSW
11
2.5
SW
13
3.5
SW
15
3.5
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
132
963
3040
3558
2381
1671
1169
897
623
377
257
398
772
736
807
806
923
785
2111
5520
5161
Wind (km/h)
10
NNE
5
NW
5
SW
10
E
5
SE
10
SW
10
SE
5
ESE
5
SSE
5
NNE
5
NNW
5
W
5
WNW
10
S
10
S
10
SE
5
SSE
10
S
5
SSE
5
WNW
5
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
on
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-on
High Tide
3:42AM1.56m
4:12PM1.61m
4:28AM1.54m
4:55PM1.63m
5:12AM1.48m
5:37PM1.59m
5:55AM1.39m
6:19PM1.52m
6:38AM1.28m
7:01PM1.42m
7:23AM1.17m
7:45PM1.31m
8:15AM1.07m
Low Tide
9:38PM0.10m
9:58AM-0.00m
10:25PM0.08m
10:40AM0.01m
11:11PM0.09m
11:20AM0.07m
11:55PM0.15m
12:00PM0.16m
00:39AM0.23m
12:39PM0.27m
1:24AM0.33m
1:21PM0.39m
2:14AM0.43m
2:09PM0.51m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:48
7:48
7:48
7:47
7:47
7:46
7:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:55
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
 mm
1
Temp °C
14
14
16
15
15
16
15
16
19
19
17
18
16
15
16
13
13
15
12
12
13
Feels °C
13
13
15
16
15
14
14
15
19
19
16
17
15
11
13
10
12
13
10
11
11
  • 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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