Horse Trails Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 18.45° E

Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Horse Trails sea temperature is
13.1° C
2.4° 

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 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 3,422 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 (Aug 20) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period. 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 3.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Thu 20th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Best Surf11AM (Thu 20th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Most Powerful11AM (Thu 20th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 13s

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


The Lowdown

Gather 'round, crew. Rusty here. Let’s talk about Horse Trails. It’s a sandbar break that’s fairly consistent, exposed to the southwest, and it’s gonna be a wild ride over the next couple of weeks, but we have to be patient. There’s a big hole at the start with no real green lights.

The main story? The first few days, starting Thursday the 20th of August, we’ve got a massive pulse of swell – around 10ft from the southwest, with a period of 13 seconds and combined energy readings over 3400 (that’s strong to very strong energy). But the water is sitting at a chilly 55°F, which is a massive 5°F colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a serious freeze, so you’ll want a thick suit. The problem is, that swell is just too big for Horse Trails – it’s gonna be a washing machine for experts only, and even then, it’s pushing the limits. The wind is cross from the south, so it won’t be clean, and the sets will be relentless. Skip the 20th.

Friday the 21st of August morning is a different story. The swell drops to a much more manageable 7ft from the southwest, period is a solid 11 seconds (moderate groundswell), and the energy is down to 1085 (moderate). The wind shifts to a cross-off from the southeast, which will clean the waves right up. This is the real standout for the forecast – a chance at clean, well-shaped waves. It’s not a huge day, but the quality is there. Afternoon goes onshore and gets messy, so make the call early.

From there, it’s a bit of a gamble. Saturday the 22nd through to Monday the 24th sees dropping swell and tricky onshore or cross winds, making for marginal conditions. Not worth getting wet.

Then we hit a sweet spot. Tuesday the 25th of August morning brings a fresh 7ft southwest swell, with a 14-second period (long period groundswell). With a 14-second interval, these waves will have proper push and shape, but at a beach break like this, that long period can make them a bit straight. Still, the cross-off wind from the east-southeast will keep the surface clean. Combined energy is 2049 (strong), and it’s flagged for experienced surfers. This is your backup standout – if you miss Friday, aim for this. Wednesday the 26th has a similar setup with a smaller 5ft swell and clean conditions.

The end of August and start of September turns ugly again. The 27th through 31st is mostly onshore, lumpy, or just plain poor. There is a massive spike on the 2nd of September: another 10ft to 13ft pulse from the WSW with very long 14-second periods and energy readings over 4000 and 5000. Too powerful for this break. The morning of the 3rd of September is a tease – glassy conditions, but 10ft is still too big for most. The last few days of the forecast, the 4th, look like more of the same clean but too-large conditions.

So, bottom line: If you’re looking for a paddle, your best bets are the morning of Friday the 21st of August for a clean, user-friendly size, or Tuesday the 25th of August for a slightly bigger, more powerful groundswell. The rest is just waiting. The long-range stuff after that is promising but less certain, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
!
4
3
2
2
1
1
4
3
3
2
1
0
3
4
3
4
2
3
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
SW
13
3
SW
13
2.3
SW
12
2.1
SW
11
1.8
SW
11
1.4
SSW
10
1.3
SSW
12
1.5
SW
11
2.1
SW
12
2.3
WSW
13
1.9
WSW
13
2.1
SW
12
2
SW
12
1.2
WSW
11
1.6
SW
15
2.2
SW
14
2
WSW
14
1.9
SW
13
1.4
WSW
12
1.3
WSW
12
1.2
WSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3422
2536
1513
1027
792
388
443
515
1111
1748
1157
1202
1022
370
1025
1922
1465
1288
598
485
374
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
15
S
10
SE
10
SE
10
SW
5
SSW
10
NW
10
W
10
SE
10
SSE
15
S
10
SSE
15
S
25
SSE
15
SE
15
SE
15
SSE
15
E
5
NNW
5
SW
5
E
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
8:07AM0.99m
8:32PM1.04m
9:49AM0.92m
10:25PM0.98m
11:54AM0.96m
00:06AM1.04m
12:58PM1.07m
1:01AM1.13m
1:36PM1.19m
1:40AM1.24m
2:08PM1.31m
2:13AM1.33m
2:36PM1.42m
2:44AM1.41m
Low Tide
1:57PM0.63m
3:19AM0.62m
3:53PM0.70m
5:32AM0.61m
6:08PM0.66m
6:46AM0.52m
7:07PM0.56m
7:27AM0.41m
7:45PM0.45m
7:59AM0.30m
8:17PM0.34m
8:27AM0.21m
8:46PM0.24m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:20
7:18
7:16
7:16
7:15
7:13
7:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:19
6:20
6:21
6:21
6:22
6:22
6:22
 mm
Temp °C
14
16
13
15
18
16
15
16
15
15
17
13
15
16
14
18
24
22
27
27
22
Feels °C
11
13
10
13
16
15
14
15
15
14
15
11
12
12
11
15
21
19
25
23
19
  • 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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