
Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 12s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,653 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 18s. 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 2.3m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 11PM. 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+) | 5AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, let's get into it. The long-range picture here is a bit of a slow burn with some serious, possibly too serious, size later on. We're starting off with some small, clean-ish windows, but the real action is going to be watching the swell ramp up.
First up, Horse Trails. This is a sandbar setup that's fairly exposed, and it's best when the swell is coming from the southwest. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.
For the first few days, from Tuesday the 8th through Wednesday the 9th, it's pretty small. Tuesday morning is your best bet early on, with a clean 3ft swell from the WSW and light 3 mph cross-shore wind. The energy is moderate (476). It's not going to blow you away, but it's surfable. After that, the wind gets a bit messy and the waves drop off, so it's mostly a scratch session.
There’s a decent pick-up on Thursday the 10th. The morning shows a 8ft SW swell, but it’s a bit bumpy with moderate cross-shore winds. The energy jumps up (2215). It's a bit raw, but there's some size there for the intermediate crew. Friday morning the 11th cleans up nicely with a 6ft WSW swell and light cross-offshore winds – that's the cleanest it'll be for a few days.
Then the weekend rolls in. Saturday the 12th has some size, 6ft to 7ft, but the wind is messy again. Sunday morning the 13th looks promising with a 8ft SW swell and clean, cross-offshore winds. That's a solid window with moderate energy (2312).
Now, here’s the standout. Wednesday the 16th of September. The morning is the best on offer. We're talking a massive 15ft WSW groundswell, with a long period of 17 seconds. The energy is absolutely pumping (13090) and the wind is light and offshore. But look, this is serious. Over 8ft, it's for experts only. The swell is too big for this break for most of us, and with a period that long, it'll be a freight train. If you're an expert and you can handle that kind of power on a sandbar, it could be a day of your life. The afternoon has the same size but with onshore wind, so it'll get choppy.
After that, it stays big but gets windy and messy. Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are blown out with strong winds. The size drops back down over the following days, but we see another big pulse around the 20th and 21st of September, with waves over 12ft again, but this time with cross-shore winds. Again, these are expert-only days, too big for the average surfer.
So, to boil it down: if you want something clean and manageable, get out there Thursday morning the 10th for that building swell, or Sunday morning the 13th for the cleanest 8ft conditions. For the brave and the skilled, Wednesday the 16th is the one to circle on the calendar, but be warned, it's a beast. The rest of the fortnight is a mix of blown-out conditions or size that's just too much for this spot.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | S 8 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 9 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
454 | 294 | 140 | 172 | 342 | 295 | 680 | 2215 | 1697 | 1207 | 830 | 605 | 510 | 1133 | 2404 | 2208 | 2080 | 1121 | 732 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:05AM1.32m | 1:34PM1.43m | 1:53AM1.44m | 2:15PM1.57m | 2:33AM1.51m | 2:51PM1.66m | 3:10AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:17AM1.52m | 4:29PM1.62m | 4:48AM1.45m | ||||||
Low Tide | 7:23AM0.22m | 7:50PM0.20m | 8:04AM0.12m | 8:31PM0.08m | 8:41AM0.05m | 9:08PM0.01m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:42PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.07m | |||||||
— | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
6:31 | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 16 |
Feels °C | 20 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 10 | SSW 8 |
454 | 294 | 140 | 172 | 342 | 295 | 680 | 2215 | 1697 | 1207 | 830 | 605 | 319 | 1133 | 2404 | 2208 | 2080 | 756 | 422 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 14 | SSE 9 | W 11 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | S 9 | SW 17 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
303 | 156 | 117 | 140 | 15 | 9 | 133 | — | — | — | — | — | 248 | 380 | 1094 | 390 | 186 | 933 | 732 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WSW 16 | S 10 | S 9 | W 11 | SE 10 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 8 | — | — |
13 | 26 | 49 | 27 | 21 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | — | S 4 | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 7 | S 9 | — | — | SSW 9 | — |
— | — | 2 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 10 | — | 18 | 138 | 330 | 538 | 510 | 281 | 470 | — | — | 1121 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 72 | 2 | 2 | 401 | 2 | 2 | 128 | 0 | 36 | 31 | 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.










