Surf Forecasts:
Horse Trails surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 18s period, SW swell with 2,777 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period with SSE 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 (Sep 04) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. 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 2.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Horse Trails over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's on the table for Horse Trails. It's gonna be a slow burn with a couple of proper windows that'll get your heart racing.
Straight up, the start of the period is a write-off. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are blown out with strong cross-off winds and a messy, powerful swell that's just too big for this sandbar, pushing 12 ft. The water's sitting at a very unusual 55°F, which is much colder than normal for this time of year, so factor that in.
We've got a gap of a few days with no real action. The real standout for the whole 16 days is looking like Sunday the 6th. We're expecting a solid 7 ft groundswell from the SW with a very long period of 18 seconds, packing a heap of energy (2885). That long-period stuff from the SW is exactly what this break wants to see. The morning has a gentle offshore breeze, so it'll be clean, but that's only for experienced surfers. It's a sandbar, so those long-period swells can be a bit straight, but with the right tide, the shapes will be there. This is the one to circle.
Following that, Monday the 7th drops off a touch with a 6 ft SW swell, but the wind swings onshore in the afternoon. It's still surfable, but not the quality of Sunday. Then we hit another lull from Tuesday the 8th through most of the second week, with weak, messy swell and poor winds making for a lot of average days.
There's another flicker of hope later on. Sunday the 13th afternoon looks interesting with a clean 5 ft SW groundswell at 13 seconds and light winds, giving it good energy (1575). This one gets a solid nod for experienced surfers again. Monday the 14th has a bigger 7 ft swell, but the wind is messy, so it's a case of pick your session carefully.
The final few days from the 15th onward look mostly blown out or too small. Keep your eyes on that Sunday the 6th and maybe the 13th – those are your best bets for a proper session at Horse Trails.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Thu night, light winds from the SSE by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun night, min 16°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1520 | 976 | 1072 | 449 | 620 | 333 | 1569 | 2777 | 1852 | 1547 | 1418 | 1162 | 412 | 494 | 140 | 172 | 400 | 335 | 265 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | on | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:57AM1.08m | 8:31PM1.15m | 9:47AM1.03m | 10:28PM1.12m | 11:37AM1.12m | 00:03AM1.20m | 12:46PM1.27m | 1:05AM1.32m | 1:34PM1.43m | 1:53AM1.44m | 2:15PM1.57m | 2:33AM1.51m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:38AM0.41m | 1:56PM0.53m | 3:14AM0.50m | 3:58PM0.59m | 5:14AM0.47m | 5:54PM0.50m | 6:31AM0.35m | 7:02PM0.34m | 7:23AM0.22m | 7:50PM0.20m | 8:04AM0.12m | 8:31PM0.08m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 7:01 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — |
 | 6:29 | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 16 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SSE 8 | SSW 10 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 246 | 140 | 68 | 66 | 284 | 114 | 1569 | 2777 | 1852 | 1547 | 1418 | 1162 | 412 | 494 | 140 | 172 | 400 | 335 | 265 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 10 | WSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | W 20 | WSW 13 | SW 16 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | W 11 | S 8 | WSW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | 7 | 33 | 116 | 39 | 38 | 108 | 161 | 56 | 14 | 8 | 361 | 66 | 140 | 170 | 21 | 5 | 26 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WSW 10 | WSW 24 | SW 12 | — | — | — | SE 14 | — | WSW 18 | — | S 10 | S 9 | — | — | WSW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 58 | 59 | 39 | — | — | — | 8 | — | 31 | — | 49 | 27 | — | — | 26 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | — | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | SW 6 |
| kJ | 1520 | 976 | 1072 | 449 | 620 | 333 | 366 | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 25 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1274 | 1436 | 219 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 41 | 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.
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