Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 13,410 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s 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 7.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 23ft (7.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s get into it.
We’ve got a big run of surf on the way at Horse Trails, but you’re gonna have to be patient. The water’s sitting at 55°F, which is much colder than normal for this time of year – a solid 5°F anomaly, so grab the thick rubber.
Right now, there’s nothing to ride. The first real chance kicks off Sunday, August 30th, with a 8ft SW swell pushing in, but a 25 km/h SSE cross-breeze is making a mess of it. The combined energy is moderate at 2019, but conditions are marginal – not worth paddling out.
Monday morning, August 31st, is a slight step up. The swell drops to 7ft from the SW, period a solid 11 seconds, and winds are a gentler 15 km/h from the south, but still cross. It’s okay, not great. The afternoon gets worse as the wind turns cross-on.
Now, Tuesday, September 1st through Thursday, September 3rd – this is the big one, but it’s not for everyone. The swell pumps up from 8ft to a massive 20ft from the SW. The combined energy hits 10208 on Thursday morning – that’s very strong, serious power. But here’s the thing: the forecasts are saying it’s too big for this break. The winds are messy and cross-shore most of the time, except Thursday morning when it’s clean with a NNE cross-off at 25 km/h. This is expert-only territory. If you’re not on it, stay on the sand.
After that monster pulse, Friday, September 4th drops back to 7ft from the south, period a short 10 seconds. The wind is a fresh 30 km/h SE cross-off, which keeps it clean, but the energy is moderate at 1379. It’s rideable, but not the standout.
The real hidden gem? Look to Sunday, September 6th. A 5ft SW groundswell with a very long 15-second period rolls in. The combined energy is 980 – moderate, but that period means real shape. Winds are a slight 5 km/h SE breeze, cross-off and clean. This is the pick of the two-week window for intermediate surfers wanting quality over brute force. Horse Trails is a sandbar, and long-period SW swells can be a bit straight at beach breaks, but with those light winds, it should be fun.
After that, it fades into small, clean but weak waves through the second week. Monday, September 7th has 3ft WSW swell, clean, but tiny. By September 8th and 9th, it’s glassy but barely breaking – 2ft and 1ft – not worth a paddle. A small bump of 5ft to 8ft shows up around September 11th–13th, but the wind is howling from the SSE at 25–35 km/h, making it lumpy and choppy. That’s more of a kite-surf setup than a paddle session.
So, if you’re chasing the biggest waves, aim for that September 3rd morning window, but know it’s for experts only. For the best all-round surf, Sunday morning, September 6th is your day – clean, long-period, and manageable.
Stay warm, and keep your eyes on the horizon.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, near gales from the SSE by Thu afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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) | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 9 | SW 20 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1447 | 1499 | 961 | 821 | 1237 | 2340 | 3208 | 4067 | 3398 | 2802 | 1990 | 13410 | 3927 | 2056 | 766 | 691 | 298 | 235 | 563 | 2776 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:23AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | 6:02AM1.31m | 6:19PM1.41m | 6:49AM1.20m | 7:11PM1.27m | 7:57AM1.08m | 8:31PM1.15m | 9:47AM1.03m | 10:28PM1.12m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:45PM0.07m | 10:48AM0.11m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:22AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | 11:59AM0.28m | 00:39AM0.29m | 12:46PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.41m | 1:56PM0.53m | 3:14AM0.50m | 3:58PM0.59m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 15 |
Feels °C | 9 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | — | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 20 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 1447 | 1499 | 961 | 821 | 1237 | 2340 | 3208 | 4067 | 3398 | 2802 | 1990 | — | 644 | 392 | 176 | 222 | 206 | 178 | 563 | 2776 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | SSW 13 | S 12 | WSW 10 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 17 | 12 | 125 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 23 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 9 | S 6 | SSE 6 |
| kJ | 57 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13410 | 3927 | 2056 | 766 | 691 | 298 | 235 | 379 | 146 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 72 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 193 | 324 | 1044 | 127 | 401 | 2 | 2 | 128 | 2 |
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.
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