
Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 18s period, SW swell with 3,579 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 15s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s 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 2.4m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the forecast for Long Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so we’ll take it day by day.
We start off this Tuesday afternoon with a small WSW swell at 2ft, period 12 seconds. Not much power, combined energy is weak at 356, but there’s clean surf with a moderate offshore breeze. It’s surfable but you won’t be getting your pulse racing. The water temp is 56°, which is much colder than normal by over 4°, so a thick wetsuit is a must.
The real action starts to build on Wednesday the 9th. By the afternoon we’ve got 4ft of SW groundswell, period 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 404. Coming with clean faces and a moderate offshore, this is the start of the good stuff.
Now, Thursday the 10th is where we see a big jump. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell from the SW, period 14 seconds, and the combined energy absolutely rips at 2626. That’s strong. The wind stays gentle offshore, giving you clean, powerful lines. This is the standout session of this first week – excellent conditions, but this size is squarely for the experienced crew. Beginners should sit this one out.
Things get a bit messy from Friday the 11th through the weekend. The swell hangs around in the 6ft to 8ft range, but the wind swings cross-off and then onshore, with strong breezes up to 25 mph making it choppy and lumpy. The quality drops off hard, with a lot of marginal or poor conditions in the mix.
We have a gap of a few days with no real recommendations until the following week. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are blown out completely with strong onshore winds and rain, so don’t bother.
We then hit a patch of big but windy surf from Wednesday the 16th through to the 18th. It’s big, 8ft to 10ft, but those strong cross-off breezes keep it from being pristine. It’s clean enough for a paddle if you’re keen, but it’s not the best quality for the size.
Then, Saturday the 19th offers a nice little window. A clean 6ft SSW groundswell with light, almost glassy cross-off winds. Combined energy is 850, so moderate and clean. That’s a good one for a fun, manageable session.
Looking way out to the second week, Monday the 21st of September is the real long-range stand-out. We’re looking at a massive 12ft SSW groundswell, period 17 seconds, with combined energy punching a huge 7676. The wind is clean and gentle offshore. That’s a massive, powerful, long-period groundswell that will be lined up and powerful. Again, experts only at this size, but it’s a promising, if uncertain this far out, call for something special.
So the pick is clear: Thursday morning the 10th for the solid and clean groundswell, and keep an eye on Monday the 21st of September for a potential giant, clean swell for the pros.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Tue night, fresh winds from the SE by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Fri night, light winds from the S by Sun afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 11 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SSE 7 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
137 | 211 | 304 | 382 | 759 | 2626 | 2084 | 1481 | 952 | 710 | 610 | 1580 | 3077 | 2216 | 1422 | 1029 | 600 | 380 | 272 | 469 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 1:53AM1.43m | 2:15PM1.56m | 2:33AM1.51m | 2:52PM1.65m | 3:10AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:16AM1.51m | 4:29PM1.62m | 4:47AM1.44m | 4:59PM1.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:50PM0.20m | 8:04AM0.12m | 8:31PM0.09m | 8:41AM0.05m | 9:08PM0.01m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:42PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.08m | 10:49AM0.16m | 11:15PM0.17m | |||||||
— | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
137 | 172 | 304 | 382 | 759 | 2626 | 2084 | 1481 | 952 | 710 | 372 | 1580 | 3077 | 2216 | 666 | 747 | 490 | 380 | 272 | 263 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 18 | — | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 11 |
117 | 211 | 25 | 14 | 536 | — | — | — | — | — | 289 | 127 | — | — | 1422 | 1029 | 600 | 162 | 83 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | W 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 5 | — | — | — |
102 | 32 | 21 | 8 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 3 | SSE 3 | S 3 | SSE 4 | — | — | SE 4 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 8 |
— | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | — | — | 16 | 381 | 435 | 610 | 1107 | 1479 | 977 | — | — | — | 171 | 380 | 469 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 39 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 32 | 32 |
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.










