
Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 7,492 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 11s 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 11s 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 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, checkin’ in with a look at the surf forecast for Horse Trails. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the cards, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with the winds and size, so let’s get into it.
The first decent window opens up from Friday morning, July 17th. We’ve got a clean, glassy start with some clouds overhead. The swell is showing 6ft from the SW with a period of 11 seconds, delivering moderate wave energy (773). The water is sitting at 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a steamer. That first session Friday morning is a true standout – clean, glassy, and with decent energy.
Saturday morning, July 18th, it’s glassy again, but the swell has dropped a touch to 5ft from the SW. It’s still clean, but the energy is a bit weaker. The real standout of the whole forecast is Friday morning, July 17th. That’s the pick.
Sunday, July 19th, gets a bit messy with a light cross-shore wind, and the swell is side-on, making it less appealing. Monday morning, July 20th, is glassy again, but the swell is smaller at 4ft, and the energy is down. Tuesday morning, July 21st, is looking good again, with a 4ft SW swell, a period of 14 seconds, and clean, cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (669), and it’s a very good session.
Now, things get interesting. From Wednesday, July 22nd, the swell ramps up significantly. The morning shows a 10ft swell from the WSW, but the forecast says it’s too big for this break. That’s expert territory. The energy is very strong (3292). The afternoon is similarly huge. Thursday, July 23rd, is still big, with a 7ft swell in the morning and an 8ft swell in the afternoon. The afternoon has a very long period of 18 seconds, which is groundswell, and the energy is very strong (5363). The problem is the size – it’s pushing into the “too big for most” category.
Friday, July 24th, is a monster. 13ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 16 seconds. It’s way too big for this spot, and the energy is off the charts (7312). This is strictly for experts, if anyone’s even game. The wind is light, but the swell is just too massive.
The weekend of July 25th and 26th is a write-off. Saturday has strong, messy winds from the SSE, and Sunday is still too big, with an 12ft swell on the Sunday afternoon. The winds are clean Sunday morning, but the size is still a problem.
We finally get a breather on Monday, July 27th. The morning is clean with offshore winds and a 5ft SW swell. The energy is moderate (1259), and it’s a very good session. Tuesday, July 28th, is even better in the morning – glassy, 3ft swell, and clean. The energy is weak (389), but the conditions are perfect for a fun, small-wave session.
The end of the month and start of August looks promising. Wednesday, July 29th, has a clean afternoon with a 5ft WSW swell. Thursday, July 30th, has a glassy afternoon with a 4ft swell. Friday, July 31st, starts with a glassy morning and a 7ft SSW swell – that’s excellent for experienced surfers, with strong energy (1448). Saturday, August 1st, also has a glassy morning and a 4ft SSW swell, with a very long period of 14 seconds and strong energy (1033). The afternoon is glassy with a 4ft W swell and a very long period of 21 seconds, which is a standout for the end of the run.
Overall, Friday morning, July 17th, is the standout for clean, fun waves. The end of the run, from July 27th through August 1st, also offers some excellent, clean conditions, especially the glassy sessions. The middle of the forecast is dominated by huge, expert-only swell, so just sit it out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 9 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
773 | 623 | 377 | 307 | 310 | 574 | 555 | 574 | 702 | 270 | 173 | 255 | 556 | 1496 | 3137 | 3292 | 3416 | 2457 | 1180 | 4605 | 5497 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 9:43PM1.11m | 10:48AM0.98m | 11:05PM1.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 4:34AM0.55m | 4:48PM0.64m | ||||||||
7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | |
— | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
773 | 623 | 377 | 307 | 257 | 574 | 555 | 574 | 702 | 270 | 140 | 146 | 556 | 1496 | 3137 | 3292 | 3416 | 2457 | 1180 | 4605 | 5497 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 13 | S 12 | SW 13 | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 7 | WSW 11 | W 9 | W 8 | — | — | — | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | — |
— | — | 52 | 127 | 310 | 198 | 146 | 128 | 121 | 202 | 173 | 47 | 82 | 24 | 5 | — | — | — | 608 | 540 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | W 12 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 16 | SSW 7 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | SW 21 | WSW 12 | — |
— | — | 10 | 189 | 137 | 125 | 74 | 32 | 15 | 90 | 89 | 255 | 31 | 24 | — | — | — | — | 162 | 218 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 38 | 31 | 38 | 38 | 31 | 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.










