Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, WSW swell with 3,331 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period with S 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 (Aug 27) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s is also forecast. 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 3.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Oi, what’s the surf lookin’ like? Rusty here, and for our local spot, Long Beach (a sheltered sandbar setup), it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s some real magic hiding in there if you’re patient.
Right now, we’re in a bit of a flat spell to start. The first real action worth paddling out for doesn’t kick off until Monday the 24th. The morning is showing a clean 6ft swell from the WSW, with a period of 11 seconds. The winds are a cross-off, so the face will be tidy, but the catch here is the wave energy is moderate (950). It’s not going to be a world-beater. And the water is sitting at 58°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year (a -2°F anomaly), so you’ll want that steamer.
Tuesday the 25th sees a jump in size. The morning has a solid 8ft SW swell, with a long 14-second period. Wave energy is ramping up into the moderately strong range (2549). But the wind is a fresh cross-off from the SE at 22 mph, so while it’ll be clean, it’s a bit of a battle paddle out. This is getting into the "not for beginners" territory with that size.
Wednesday the 26th drops back down a bit, with a 5ft WSW swell in the morning (13-second period, 1613 energy). Still clean with that cross-off. The afternoon has a weird shift to a 7ft SE swell with a short 8-second period—that windswell energy is still moderate-strong (1577), but the short period tends to make things a bit bouncy and less powerful.
Thursday the 27th is a write-off. Cloudy, onshore and cross-onshore winds, and poor conditions. Just leave the board in the car.
The first real standout comes on Monday the 31st. After a fairly average run, Monday morning looks prime. You’ve got an 8ft WSW groundswell with a 12-second period. The wind is a glassy offshore from the SSE (3 mph). The wave energy is strong (1966). This is the one you set your alarm for. The conditions read “expect very good surf conditions” and it’s about as clean as you can ask for. The afternoon holds up well too, with clean 8ft waves.
Then things get wild. We have a massive spike on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning shows a 20ft WSW swell with a 13-second period, but it’s accompanied by a near-gale W wind at 37 mph. The combined energy is extreme (12837). This isn’t a paddle surf day unless you are an absolute charger; for the rest of us, it’s a “look at the ocean from the car park” day. The afternoon is even bigger with 21ft.
The true standout session for the experts is Thursday the 3rd of September. The morning reveals a 16ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period. The wind drops totally to a gentle cross-off breeze from the SW at 9 mph. The wave energy is extreme (17108). This has "best on offer" written all over it. The period is so long it will wrap and draw into the sandbar beautifully, with huge, powerful lines. The calm winds will have the place looking like glass. This is heavy, heavy surf—for experts only, but for them, it will be a session to remember. The afternoon drops to a 13ft SSW swell (15s, 10649) but gets a bit of a cross-chop.
Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th get messy with onshore winds and heavy choppy conditions. Sunday the 6th and beyond drop off in size and get hammered by strong to near-gale winds, making it a no-go for proper surfing. The last week of the forecast window is a bit of a bust for quality.
So, if you’re an average surfer, your window is Monday the 31st. If you’re a serious expert looking for a pulse-pounding session, clear your calendar for Thursday the 3rd of September. The rest of the run has some activity, but those are the two true standouts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Tue afternoon, light winds from the ENE by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Thu night, fresh winds from the NW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | WSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
829 | 422 | 2350 | 2323 | 1858 | 1093 | 669 | 565 | 331 | 454 | 418 | 394 | 326 | 534 | 454 | 433 | 822 | 2149 | 3331 | 3264 | 2897 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 1:37PM1.18m | 1:41AM1.24m | 2:08PM1.31m | 2:13AM1.33m | 2:37PM1.42m | 2:44AM1.41m | 3:05PM1.51m | 3:14AM1.47m | 3:33PM1.59m | 3:44AM1.50m | 4:01PM1.63m | 4:15AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:45PM0.45m | 7:59AM0.31m | 8:17PM0.34m | 8:27AM0.21m | 8:46PM0.25m | 8:54AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.17m | 9:22AM0.09m | 9:44PM0.11m | 9:49AM0.06m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.07m | 10:45PM0.08m | ||||||||
7:16 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | |
— | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 26 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
829 | 422 | 2350 | 2323 | 1858 | 1093 | 669 | 466 | 327 | 454 | 418 | 394 | 326 | 534 | 454 | 433 | 822 | 53 | 11 | 3264 | 2897 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | W 11 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 12 | S 11 | N 5 | ESE 12 | SSE 10 | SE 10 |
121 | 354 | 154 | 226 | 217 | 247 | 145 | 217 | 331 | 256 | 180 | 161 | 121 | 214 | 127 | 189 | 58 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WSW 12 | SE 8 | SE 8 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SE 12 | SSE 13 | WSW 16 | SE 13 | SSE 12 | — | ESE 13 | SE 10 |
— | 314 | — | — | — | 99 | 193 | 329 | 322 | 84 | 42 | 146 | 163 | 5 | 101 | 203 | 44 | 15 | — | 17 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | N 4 | NW 4 | — | SE 3 | SE 5 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | W 4 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | — | — |
10 | 18 | 53 | 129 | 188 | 341 | 606 | 565 | 824 | 9 | 11 | — | 9 | 26 | 10 | 16 | 24 | 2149 | 3331 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 6 | 24 | 24 | 411 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 47 | 428 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











