Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
13.1° C
2.3° 

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 15 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,191 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 16th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 16th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 5PM (Tue 21st Jul)11ft (3.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at Horse Trails, a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent. It’s a solid spot, but the water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The next 16 days have a real split personality. The first week is a bit of a slow burner, with the real standout action coming much later in the period. Thursday morning, the 16th, kicks off with some proper swell. There’s a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a 13-second period, giving you a heap of energy. The wind is glassy, so it’s clean. The only catch? At this size, it’s getting into experienced surfer territory. The crowd factor is there too, so expect a few others in the water.

The next few days, from Friday the 17th through to Monday the 20th, are a bit of a mixed bag. The swell drops off, wind gets messy, and the quality takes a hit. You’ll get some waist-to-chest high waves, but the conditions are a bit skunky. Sunday morning the 19th looks like the best of this bunch, with a clean 5ft SW swell and glassy conditions, but it’s not going to set the world on fire.

Now, here’s the big one. Tuesday the 21st arrives, and the ocean gets serious. We’re talking a massive 10ft SW groundswell, with a very long 15-second period. The energy is pumping. The wind is clean, cross-off, and it’s a dream for experienced surfers. But, and this is a big but, this is way too much size for most. It’s a full-on, expert-only session. The same goes for Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd, with the swell holding around 10ft. This is proper big-wave territory.

The next real standout for a wider range of surfers is Monday the 27th. The swell has dropped to a more manageable 7ft SW, still with a nice 14-second period. The wind is light and off-shore, leaving it clean. The energy is still strong, but the size is now in the range for strong intermediates. Tuesday the 28th is also a good call, with a clean 6ft SW swell.

The very end of the run, from the 30th and 31st, sees another massive pulse of 15ft SW swell. This is colossal, expert-only, and honestly, the setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers. It’s a sight to behold, but you’ll need a big set of balls to paddle into it.

Bottom line: The best bet for the best quality surf, without it being too crazy, is Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th of July. The 21st through the 23rd is for the big-wave crew only.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, fresh winds from the NW by Tue afternoon).

Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wed
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
!
4
3
3
2
1
2
1
2
3
3
2
2
2
0
2
!
!
!
!
!
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)
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
13
2.3
SW
13
2.1
SW
12
1.8
SW
11
1.7
SW
11
1.4
SW
10
1.4
SW
9
1.4
SW
10
1.7
SW
12
1.6
SW
12
1.5
SW
11
1.3
SW
11
1.3
SSW
11
1.2
SW
10
1.9
SSW
12
3
SW
15
3.5
SW
14
3.5
SW
13
3
WSW
13
3
WSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3558
2381
1671
1169
773
635
377
343
357
833
723
534
377
389
264
1022
3919
4191
3781
2801
2694
Wind (km/h)
5
E
5
SSW
10
SW
5
SE
5
S
5
SW
0
SW
10
NW
10
WNW
10
N
5
E
10
SSW
5
SE
5
NNW
15
W
20
NNE
30
N
30
NW
20
N
25
N
15
WNW
Wind State
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
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
8:37PM1.19m
9:22AM1.00m
Low Tide
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
3:14AM0.51m
3:14PM0.60m
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:48
7:48
7:47
7:47
7:46
7:46
7:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:54
5:55
5:55
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
5:59
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
15
14
16
14
15
17
16
16
17
15
14
15
14
14
14
13
14
16
14
14
17
Feels °C
15
14
15
13
14
16
16
15
16
14
14
14
13
13
12
11
9
9
11
10
13
  • 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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