
Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 3,859 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for Horse Trails.
First up, we're starting with a bit of a wait. The first solid action doesn't kick in until Sunday, the 12th of July. So you've got a few days of flat water to rest up.
The big news is a run of solid, clean swells through the middle of the week. Sunday morning, the 12th, is a nice opener: a clean 5-foot swell from the south with a good 11-second period, and light cross-off winds. The energy is moderate at 682, and the waves are looking clean. It's a solid start.
Monday morning, the 13th, is smaller but special. We've got a glassy 3-foot SSW swell, and the wind is dead calm. That's a glass-off, folks. Perfect conditions for a longboard or a funboard, just gentle lines. The energy is light at 271, but the quality will be there.
Now, Wednesday the 15th is where it gets interesting. The morning starts glassy again with a 4-foot SSW swell, but that’s just the appetizer. The headline here is the afternoon: an 8-foot SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The energy jumps to 3088 - that's serious power. Now, that long period means it'll be a bit more particular at a sandbar like Horse Trails, but the quality of the wave could be unreal. Just be aware it might be a bit too much for beginners.
Thursday the 16th is the real standout for the experienced crew. Thursday morning is glassy again with an 8-foot SW swell at 13 seconds. The energy is 2605, and conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a big, powerful, clean swell. If you've got the skills, this is your window.
The following Saturday morning, the 18th, offers another excellent session for experienced surfers. A 6-foot SW swell with a 14-second period and clean, cross-off winds. The energy is 1815. It's a slightly more manageable size than Thursday, but still powerful and clean.
We do have a few more windows later on. Wednesday the 22nd morning looks clean with a 6-foot SW swell, and then the morning of the 23rd of July looks clean but the swell is predicted to be a massive 10 feet, which is too big for this spot. The afternoon of the 23rd, however, is glassy with an 8-foot SW swell, which is a solid session for experts again.
The run from the 24th onward gets messy with strong winds, so we'll be looking at the 27th of July, Monday morning, for a final clean-up with a 6-foot SW swell.
So, to wrap it up: The best bet for the average surfer is Sunday morning the 12th for a fun, clean start. For the experienced crew, you cannot miss Thursday morning the 16th for a big, clean, powerful groundswell - that's the one to circle on the calendar. And don't forget that Wednesday morning the 15th is a glassy gem for the smaller gear.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Sat 18 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 12 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
889 | 545 | 337 | 260 | 173 | 132 | 220 | 164 | 156 | 132 | 640 | 2944 | 3752 | 2605 | 1723 | 1805 | 1510 | 1708 | 1054 | 1443 | 919 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 4:55PM1.63m | 5:12AM1.48m | 5:37PM1.59m | 5:55AM1.39m | 6:19PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:40AM0.01m | 11:11PM0.09m | 11:20AM0.07m | 11:55PM0.15m | 12:00PM0.16m | ||||||||
— | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | |
5:52 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 20 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 12 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
889 | 545 | 337 | 260 | 173 | 132 | 220 | 164 | 156 | 132 | 640 | 2944 | 3752 | 2605 | 1723 | 1805 | 1510 | 1708 | 1054 | 1443 | 919 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SSW 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 9 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 19 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 10 |
163 | 112 | 110 | 69 | 66 | 40 | 90 | 59 | 55 | 53 | 130 | 144 | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 265 | 372 | 237 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 18 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | SSE 12 |
12 | 25 | 37 | 33 | 32 | 54 | 45 | 25 | 24 | 108 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 427 | — | 89 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 110 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 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.











