Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,782 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 13s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Long Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Long Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Long Beach has in store for us.
Well, the start of this forecast period is a bit of a write-off, to be honest. There’s some solid swell energy rolling in, with the combined energy hitting a hefty 3984, but Thursday the 13th is a mess. We’ve got an 8ft SW groundswell with a long 17-second period, but that cross-onshore wind is just chopping it up. It’s marginal at best, and the water’s sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. Friday the 14th is even worse, with poor conditions and onshore winds. You won’t want a bar of it.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday the 15th. The morning sees the wind swing light and offshore from the SE, cleaning up a 6ft WSW swell. The afternoon gets even better, with clean, offshore conditions and the swell bumping up to 7ft. The combined energy is a solid 1504. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and rideable. Good for an intermediate session.
Sunday the 16th is a bit of a letdown – the wind swings back onshore and the quality drops right off. You’ll want to give that a miss.
Now, here’s the standout. Mark Monday the 17th on your calendar. Early morning we’ve got absolute glass – zero wind. The swell is a solid 8ft from the WSW with a decent 13-second period and combined energy of 2354. That’s going to be *excellent* for experienced surfers, but remember, that’s a solid 8ft, so it’s for the crew who know what they’re doing, not beginners. The afternoon stays clean with a light offshore breeze. The period is a bit shorter (13 seconds) for a groundswell, which should actually keep the waves from getting too straight, making Long Beach’s sandbar setup work better. Crowds are often an issue here, so get in early if you can.
Tuesday the 18th still offers clean, cross-offshore conditions, but the swell drops off to 6ft. A fun, manageable size if you missed Monday.
From Wednesday the 19th, things get ugly again with strong winds. The 20th has a near-gale and a short-period windswell – that’s more kite-surfing territory than paddling. There’s a bit of a gap of poor, windy conditions right through to the middle of the following week.
Looking further ahead, Saturday the 22nd shows some promise, with a solid 7ft SW groundswell and a long 16-second period, but the wind is up to 25 mph in the afternoon, which kills it. The morning might be worth a look if the wind forecast cleans up, but it's too far out to bank on.
The last week of the forecast is quiet. Swell drops off and onshore winds dominate. Nothing worth getting excited about from the 23rd onward.
So, to sum it up: Monday the 17th morning is the absolute best on offer. Get down to Long Beach for the glassy, chest-to-head-high sets. Saturday the 15th is your next best bet for a clean, smaller wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the SE by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3782 | 2535 | 1832 | 1475 | 1257 | 1244 | 1267 | 1504 | 1419 | 1380 | 2082 | 2919 | 2354 | 1995 | 1703 | 1033 | 824 | 990 | 628 | 821 | 568 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:53PM1.68m | 4:09AM1.56m | 4:29PM1.69m | 4:46AM1.51m | 5:05PM1.64m | 5:21AM1.43m | 5:39PM1.55m | 5:56AM1.33m | 6:12PM1.43m | 6:31AM1.21m | 6:47PM1.29m | 7:10AM1.09m | 7:28PM1.15m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:40AM-0.01m | 10:08PM0.02m | 10:16AM-0.00m | 10:46PM0.04m | 10:51AM0.05m | 11:22PM0.10m | 11:24AM0.14m | 11:56PM0.19m | 11:56AM0.25m | 00:31AM0.30m | 12:29PM0.38m | 1:08AM0.42m | 1:05PM0.51m | 1:54AM0.54m | |||||||
7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
— | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 24 | 21 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 17 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
3782 | 2535 | 1832 | 1475 | 1257 | 1244 | 1267 | 1504 | 1419 | 1380 | 2082 | 2919 | 2354 | 1995 | 1703 | 1033 | 824 | 990 | 628 | 821 | 568 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | WNW 5 | W 6 | ESE 9 | SE 4 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | W 18 | — | ESE 10 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | — | — |
202 | 98 | 63 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 26 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 55 | — | 10 | 418 | 256 | 272 | 349 | 602 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 7 | — | — | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | — | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | — | — | — |
— | 18 | — | — | — | 34 | 15 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 |
— | — | 13 | 37 | 45 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | 215 | 471 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 39 | 24 | 12 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Long Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Long Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Long Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Long Beach 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 (Long Beach) 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 Long Beach 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 Long Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cape Town, consider staying in Cape Town which is 26 km (16 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 37 km (23 miles) away, Bellville, Stellenbosch and Kayamnandi.











