Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 5,568 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period with WSW 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period. 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 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM. 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 (Aug 05) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Horse Trails. We've got a solid run of swell coming, but the big issue is that a lot of it is going to be too much for this spot. It's a sandbar, and when the swell gets over that 8ft mark, it's just going to be a washing machine out there. Keep your eyes on the windows where it drops back down to a manageable size and the wind plays nice.
The first real opportunity is on Wednesday the 6th. The swell is up around 12ft from the WSW, but that's just too big for Horse Trails. The same goes for Thursday and Friday of that first week. There's plenty of energy in the water, we're talking combined energy in the 3000s and 4000s, but it's just going to be closing out and dangerous. You'd need to be an expert to even think about it.
The first proper window where it comes into range looks like the morning of Tuesday the 12th. The swell drops to 5ft from the S, with a long 12-second period, and the wind is glassy. That's clean conditions and a decent wave. The following morning, Wednesday the 13th, also looks good with a clean 5ft from the WSW and light offshore winds. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want the full rubber.
There's a bit of a lull for a few days after that, with some smaller, less organized swell. The standout is the morning of Sunday the 17th. It's glassy with a clean 6ft from the WSW. It's not huge, but it looks like the best conditions on offer. The combined energy is only around 920, so it's not a powerhouse, but it should be clean and fun.
The second week gets a bit more iffy. The 18th sees a pulse of 8ft from the WSW, but with a fresh cross-offshore wind, it might be a bit lumpy. The morning of Wednesday the 20th looks like another clean, smaller day with a 6ft WSW swell and light airs. It's worth a look but not a standout.
So, if you're flexible, the best bets are the 12th, 13th, and 17th. The 17th is probably the pick of the bunch for a clean, user-friendly wave. Keep an eye on the forecasts, as the long-range stuff is always a bit less certain.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Wed night, light winds from the SW by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sat morning, near gales from the SSE by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 20 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1904 | 2233 | 4186 | 3728 | 3297 | 3216 | 3673 | 4370 | 3606 | 2221 | 4555 | 5085 | 3018 | 4143 | 1291 | 1100 | 1086 | 846 | 1091 | 690 | 1451 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 7:38PM1.32m | 8:20AM1.10m | 8:48PM1.23m | 9:52AM1.05m | 10:22PM1.20m | 11:32AM1.10m | 11:55PM1.25m | 12:48PM1.23m | 1:05AM1.35m | 1:45PM1.37m | 2:00AM1.45m | 2:32PM1.51m | 2:47AM1.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:11PM0.39m | 2:07AM0.39m | 2:13PM0.48m | 3:28AM0.44m | 3:47PM0.55m | 5:09AM0.43m | 5:37PM0.51m | 6:32AM0.33m | 6:57PM0.39m | 7:32AM0.21m | 7:55PM0.25m | 8:19AM0.10m | 8:44PM0.13m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | |  | | |
 | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — |
 | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — |
mm | — | — | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 15 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 20 |
| kJ | 1904 | 2233 | 4186 | 3728 | 3297 | 3216 | 3673 | 4370 | 3606 | 2221 | 4555 | 5085 | 3018 | 22 | 1291 | 497 | 303 | 724 | 1091 | 690 | 1451 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 24 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 60 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 447 | 107 | 112 | 41 | 273 | 206 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | — | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | — | — | 27 | 20 | 71 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | NW 5 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 | SSW 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 8 | SE 8 | — |
| kJ | 42 | 68 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 460 | 4143 | 858 | 1100 | 1086 | 846 | 456 | 418 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 81 | 282 | 31 | 2 | 72 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 341 | 596 | 931 | 1566 | 1975 | 3874 | 0 | 2 | 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.
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