
Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 10,400 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period with SW 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 11s 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 Long Beach in the next 16 days are 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
It’s been a quiet start, but things are about to get properly interesting. There’s a bit of a lull at the very beginning of the run, but the first real action kicks off on Thursday, 23 July. The early window is looking messy, but the buzz is all about the weekend.
We’re looking at Long Beach, a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent. It’s sheltered from the swell, so it needs a good push from the SW to get going. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.
The real standout is Friday morning, 24 July. It’s going to be a special one. The swell is a solid 12 ft from the SW, with a long period of 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy is thumping at 4968, so the ocean will have plenty of push. The kicker is the glassy conditions with zero wind. It’s going to be clean, lined up, and powerful. This is only for experienced surfers though; that size is the real deal. The afternoon holds at 10 ft with a gentle offshore breeze from the SSE, keeping it clean, so you can surf all day.
Saturday, 25 July is still very good. The morning has 6 ft from the SSW with a clean cross-off breeze, but the afternoon is better with 8 ft from the SW and a gentler wind. The waves will be clean and well-shaped, making for a very long day in the water.
Sunday, 26 July is a step down in size but still fun. The morning has 7 ft from the SW, and the afternoon is a smaller 6 ft, both with clean cross-off winds. A good day for the intermediate crowd.
The Monday, 27 July and Tuesday, 28 July stretch is a write-off for paddle surfing. The swell is huge, hitting 13 ft on Tuesday morning with a 17-second period and a massive 9874 energy reading, but the wind is a gale. That kind of cross-off gale will make it a choppy, blown-out mess. This setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than for a paddle board.
We get a reset on Wednesday, 29 July. The swell drops to 7 ft from the SW with a 13-second period, but the wind is a cross-shore, so there’s a bit of chop. Not the best, but surfable.
The next real highlight is Thursday afternoon, 30 July. Glassy conditions again, with a 7 ft SW swell at 14 seconds. The energy is 1843, which is moderate, but the glassy surface will make it clean and tempting. The morning is a write-off with onshore wind.
The surf then tapers off through the end of July and into the first of August. Friday and Saturday, 31 July and 1 August, offer clean, small waves in the 4 ft to 5 ft range with glassy conditions – perfect for a longboard.
There’s a gap of smaller, less consistent surf from Sunday, 2 August, through Tuesday, 4 August. The swell is small and the wind is mixed. Nothing to get excited about.
Then, Wednesday, 5 August is a late standout. The afternoon session is calling out. The swell is 8 ft from the SW with a 15-second period and a light breeze. The combined energy is 3014, and the forecast says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is a long-range call, so treat it with a bit of caution, but it’s got the makings of a very good day.
Thursday, 6 August is a bit messy with cross-onshore wind, but Friday morning, 7 August is another potential cracker. A 10 ft SW swell at 13 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze and clean conditions. The energy is 2752. Another one for the experienced crew.
So, the best of the best is Friday morning, 24 July, with that glassy, powerful SW groundswell. The second standout is Wednesday afternoon, 5 August, for a later date to keep an eye on.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Wed night, calm by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat night, min 14°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Sat night, gales from the ESE by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
756 | 1395 | 2142 | 9305 | 4968 | 3889 | 2376 | 1083 | 1789 | 1742 | 1004 | 756 | 1352 | 2309 | 1538 | 3502 | 8608 | 5703 | 3066 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:43PM1.11m | 10:47AM0.97m | 11:05PM1.08m | 12:11PM1.01m | 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 | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:33AM0.55m | 4:46PM0.64m | 5:57AM0.53m | 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 | |||||||
— | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | |
5:59 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | |
mm | — | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SSW 10 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
756 | 1395 | 2142 | 9305 | 4968 | 3889 | 2376 | 1083 | 1789 | 1742 | 1004 | 756 | 1352 | 2309 | 1538 | 3502 | 8608 | 5703 | 3066 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | NNW 6 | SSW 19 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | WSW 13 | SE 11 | — | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — |
294 | 87 | 1242 | 37 | 35 | 5 | 5 | 943 | 5 | — | 279 | 401 | 184 | 740 | 1486 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
18 | 17 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | S 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
107 | 47 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 45 | 26 | 43 | 9 | 18 | 73 | 207 | 963 | 1496 | 1266 | 1137 | 989 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 32 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 200 | 971 | 39 | 162 | 24 | 2 |
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.










