Surf Forecasts:
Hout Bay surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 5,522 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Hout Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Hout Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hout Bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 10s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hout Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, we’ve got a bit of a slow start here. The first few days are a write-off with strong, choppy winds and messy conditions, so don’t bother paddling out just yet. We’re looking at a gap of about 4 days before things start to clean up.
The first real window of opportunity comes on the morning of Friday, 31 July. Hout Bay is a sheltered, beginner-friendly breakwater spot, but it’s also inconsistent, so patience is key. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SW with a nice 13-second period, and we’ve got a light cross-offshore breeze. The water is a cool 59°, which is about normal for this time of year, about 1° cooler than average. The combined wave energy is moderate at 589. It’s a small, clean wave, perfect for a longboard or a funboard.
The real standout, though, is the afternoon of Friday, 31 July. The wind drops to absolute glass – zero mph, flat calm – and the swell picks up to 5ft out of the SW, still with that 13-second period. The energy is moderate (852), and it’s going to be clean as a whistle. This is the best you’ll see for the first week.
Then, hold onto your boards, because Wednesday, 5 August, is the one. The morning is looking *excellent* for experienced surfers. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the SW, with a 14-second period, and the wind is dead calm – glassy perfection. The combined energy is strong at 2803. This is a proper swell, but at over 8ft, it’s only for experts. The breakwater setup here is sheltered, so it should handle the size better than a beach break, but still, respect the power. The afternoon gets even bigger at 13ft, but the wind goes cross-shore, so the morning is your window.
The run of decent surf continues into Saturday, 8 August, with another excellent morning for experienced surfers. The swell is 12ft from the SW, 15-second period, and glassy again. The energy is very strong at 5438. This is another big, clean session, but same caveat – only for the skilled crew.
So, to sum it up: the first four days are a washout. The best bets are the glassy afternoons on Friday, 31 July, and the big, clean morning on Wednesday, 5 August. The long-range stuff on the 8th is promising, but less certain.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Sat night, strong winds from the SE by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed night, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3709 | 2281 | 1697 | 1789 | 1731 | 1193 | 808 | 878 | 4635 | 5522 | 3162 | 3918 | 3816 | 2085 | 1182 | 996 | 712 | 540 | 599 | 520 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 00:19AM1.11m | 1:10PM1.09m | 1:14AM1.17m | 1:54PM1.18m | 1:57AM1.25m | 2:30PM1.27m | 2:33AM1.32m | 3:02PM1.35m | 3:06AM1.38m | 3:33PM1.43m | 3:38AM1.41m | 4:03PM1.48m | 4:09AM1.43m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:15PM0.61m | 6:59AM0.47m | 7:15PM0.54m | 7:44AM0.39m | 7:59PM0.46m | 8:20AM0.31m | 8:36PM0.38m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:09PM0.31m | 9:22AM0.17m | 9:40PM0.26m | 9:50AM0.13m | 10:11PM0.22m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — |
 | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 3709 | 2281 | 1697 | 1789 | 1731 | 1193 | 808 | 878 | 4635 | 5522 | 3162 | 3918 | 3816 | 2085 | 1182 | 996 | 712 | 540 | 599 | 520 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | WSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | — | SSW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | SSW 18 | — | — | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | S 10 | SE 10 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | 5 | 1222 | 312 | 40 | — | 283 | 434 | 412 | — | — | — | 1231 | — | — | 36 | 49 | 53 | 8 | 36 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 7 | SE 11 | — | — | — | S 10 | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 10 | S 9 | S 11 |
| kJ | — | 7 | 5 | — | — | — | 35 | 281 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 15 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 3 | — | — | — | S 5 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | SSE 5 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | 36 | 166 | 268 | 373 | 400 | 264 | 150 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 193 | 153 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Hout Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Hout Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Hout Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Hout Bay 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 (Hout Bay) 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 Hout Bay 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Cape Town? If you are looking for accommodation near Hout Bay, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cape Town, consider staying in Cape Town which is 16 km (10 miles) away. Other places in and around Cape Town where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Robben Island which is 27 km (17 miles) away, Bellville, Kayamnandi and Stellenbosch.
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