
Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with 2,760 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Horse Trails in the next 16 days are 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 09) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
Alright, let’s get into it. The only spot in the picture is Horse Trails. It’s a sandbar setup, fairly exposed to the swell, and it breaks pretty consistently. The water is running at 58°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year – you’ll want a thick wetsuit.
The forecast kicks off with a big pulse of swell on Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th, but it’s way too much. We’re talking 10ft of SW swell on Thursday morning (2847 combined energy), and it’s just too big for this break. Cross-shore winds will make it a messy, churning beast – not for the faint of heart. Friday morning sees it drop to 8ft, still solid, but the wind goes cross-offshore and clean. That’s a real window for experienced surfers only. The swell period is 13 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell, but it’s still a lot of water moving around.
The best of the best, the standout window, is Saturday the 11th morning. Swell drops to 7ft from the SSW, period 12 seconds, and we get clean conditions with light ESE cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is still a solid 1356, so there’s plenty of push. That’s your moment if you’re comfortable in overhead surf. It’s still a bit much for beginners though.
Sunday the 12th sees it drop to 5ft with morning glassy conditions, and that’s a good, clean, manageable day for a wider range of surfers. The combined energy drops to 665, so it’s feeling more friendly. Monday the 13th is even smaller, 3ft and glassy in the morning – a nice little mellow session.
The second week gets interesting again, but it’s a mixed bag. Wednesday the 15th has a tiny 3ft glassy morning, but a late afternoon pulse of 6ft WSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period. That’s a lot of energy for a small height, meaning clean, lined-up waves but very long waits between sets. Thursday the 16th jumps up to 8ft from the WSW, but it’s a bit lumpy with cross-on wind. The big story is the following week, from Sunday the 19th onwards. The swell really cranks up again, with 12ft to 16ft swell from the west and southwest, combined energy readings hitting over 8000. It’s massive, powerful, and for the vast majority of the time, it’s just too big for Horse Trails. The winds are often clean, but the sheer size will be a problem for all but the most elite crew. It’s a week of watching the horizon and picking your moment carefully.
The bottom line: Saturday the 11th morning is your best bet for a solid, clean, powerful session. Sunday the 12th is a good, clean, medium-sized day. After that, it’s either too small, too big, or too messy until the next big clean swell window, which is likely to be too big for most.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2847 | 2598 | 2713 | 2230 | 1989 | 1548 | 1197 | 743 | 716 | 494 | 337 | 218 | 173 | 120 | 174 | 202 | 154 | 140 | 436 | 1487 | 2618 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:21AM1.10m | 10:42PM1.29m | 11:40AM1.15m | 11:57PM1.34m | 12:49PM1.25m | 1:03AM1.41m | 1:48PM1.36m | 2:02AM1.49m | 2:40PM1.47m | 2:54AM1.55m | 3:27PM1.56m | 3:42AM1.56m | 4:12PM1.61m | 4:28AM1.54m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:12PM0.49m | 5:22AM0.34m | 5:37PM0.45m | 6:34AM0.26m | 6:51PM0.37m | 7:34AM0.17m | 7:53PM0.26m | 8:26AM0.08m | 8:48PM0.17m | 9:14AM0.02m | 9:38PM0.10m | 9:58AM-0.00m | 10:25PM0.08m | ||||||||
7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
2847 | 2598 | 2713 | 2230 | 1989 | 1548 | 1197 | 743 | 716 | 494 | 337 | 218 | 173 | 120 | 174 | 202 | 154 | 140 | 436 | 1487 | 2618 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 13 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | SW 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SSW 9 | S 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 9 | W 9 | — |
— | — | 796 | 16 | 52 | 136 | 152 | 244 | 163 | 146 | 110 | 94 | 66 | 40 | 68 | 27 | 53 | 53 | 103 | 133 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 19 | W 11 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 18 | W 11 | SW 8 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 163 | 12 | 25 | 36 | 33 | 33 | 41 | 48 | 57 | 82 | 78 | 63 | 21 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 5 | — | — | — | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 64 | — | — | — | 140 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 341 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
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.










