Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 3,275 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s 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 09) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 1.1m and 5s is also forecast. 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about Horse Trails.
The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s some solid fun on the table if you pick your moments. The water's running a touch chilly, about 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a spring suit.
Thursday morning, July 9th, kicks things off with a solid 8ft SW groundswell, period hanging around 14 seconds. It’s cross-shore from the SSE though, and the data flags it as marginal with questionable tide so the potential is there but conditions will be tricky. The combined energy is strong at 2734.
Friday morning, July 10th, is where it starts to come together. We’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the SSW, a 13-second period, and a nice cross-off breeze from the SE. The combined energy is strong (2267). That’s excellent for experienced surfers, but at 8ft, it’s getting up there and will be too much for beginners.
The real standout, the one you want to circle, is Sunday morning, July 12th. The wind drops out – glassy conditions with an ENE breeze so light it’s barely there. You’re looking at 5ft of SSW swell with an 11-second period and moderate combined energy (675). That’s good, clean, user-friendly surf. Great for a long session.
Monday and Tuesday of that week drop right off, with knee-high dribble and onshore winds. Not worth the paddle.
Then things get interesting again. Friday, July 17th, brings a return of clean conditions. Morning has a 7ft WSW swell (12 seconds) with a cross-off from the east and strong energy (1138). The afternoon switches to a 6ft SW swell, glassy with a light cross-off. Both sessions are marked as very good. That Friday is your second standout of the period.
The following weekend, July 19th, is also worth a look. Sunday morning and afternoon have glassy conditions with 6ft and 5ft WSW swells. Clean, mellow waves.
Now, looking into the third week – July 21st and beyond – there’s potential for serious size, but it’s a long-range call. Tuesday morning the 21st shows a clean 7ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period and very strong energy (1752). That’s for experienced folks. By Wednesday and Thursday, the swell is flagged as too big for this break – 10ft to 13ft with monster energy readings (4605 and 5878). That’s expert territory only, and even then, it might just be too much for Horse Trails to handle well.
So, to wrap it up: the best bets are Sunday morning, July 12th, for a clean, fun size, and Friday, July 17th, for quality waves with a bit more push. Long-range looks heavy but uncertain.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wed 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 12 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1408 | 3275 | 2734 | 1972 | 2713 | 2230 | 2056 | 1258 | 1177 | 887 | 691 | 485 | 324 | 218 | 114 | 130 | 127 | 116 | 83 | 78 | 125 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:26PM1.29m | 10:21AM1.10m | 10:42PM1.29m | 11:40AM1.15m | 11:57PM1.34m | 12:49PM1.25m | 1:03AM1.41m | 1:48PM1.36m | 2:02AM1.49m | 2:40PM1.47m | 2:54AM1.55m | 3:27PM1.56m | 3:42AM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:52PM0.47m | 4:03AM0.39m | 4:12PM0.49m | 5:22AM0.34m | 5:37PM0.45m | 6:34AM0.26m | 6:51PM0.37m | 7:34AM0.17m | 7:53PM0.26m | 8:26AM0.08m | 8:48PM0.17m | 9:14AM0.02m | 9:38PM0.10m | 9:58AM-0.00m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 |
 | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | 5:54 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 |
| kJ | 1408 | 3275 | 2734 | 1972 | 2713 | 2230 | 2056 | 1258 | 1177 | 887 | 691 | 485 | 324 | 218 | 114 | 94 | 127 | 116 | 83 | 78 | 88 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | S 13 | — | — | SW 13 | W 14 | W 13 | S 7 | W 11 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 12 | S 6 | SW 13 | S 9 | SW 12 | W 8 |
| kJ | 1039 | 14 | — | — | 796 | 37 | 82 | 103 | 152 | 214 | 214 | 149 | 146 | 96 | 68 | 130 | 17 | 80 | 41 | 72 | 50 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 9 | S 6 | SSW 10 | S 10 | SW 12 | W 12 | SW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 136 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 41 | 37 | 34 | 40 | 11 | 36 | 45 | 72 | 71 | 125 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 5 | — | S 6 | — | — | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | — | — | — | N 2 |
| kJ | — | 52 | — | 119 | — | — | 135 | 149 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 127 | 16 | 2 | 341 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 |
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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