Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,506 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Long Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 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) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
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 cooking.
Honestly, mate, the next couple of weeks look pretty average overall. There’s surf, sure, but for most of the run it’s messy or blown out. The real standout window comes right at the very end of the forecast – September 6th is where we finally get some proper clean fun. Up until then, it’s mostly a battle with wind or inconsistent, marginal conditions.
Starting off now, Monday the 24th into Tuesday the 25th, we’ve got some knee-to-waist high swell pushing in from the SSW at around 5 feet, but the wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 15 mph, keeping it a bit side-shore. It’s not terrible, but it’s not great either – feels like you’re fighting for scraps. The water temp is 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. Tuesday bumps up to 8 feet from the SW with a 14-second period, but that wind picks up to 22 mph from the SE, so it’s cross-off clean but pretty blown-out feeling. The combined energy is reading moderate-to-strong (2549), but the quality just isn’t there.
Wednesday the 26th stays in the 5 to 7-foot range with a mix of WSW and SE swell directions. The morning is cleaner with a moderate breeze, but the afternoon sees shorter period (8 seconds) making it a bit lumpy and weak. Nothing to get excited about.
Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are poor – onshore winds shifting from NNW to SE, and the wave heights drop to around 3 to 4 feet with moderate energy. Not worth paddling out for. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th have some size (8 feet on Sunday) but the wind is rubbish – onshore and cross-onshore strong enough to chop everything up. For a beach-and-sandbar setup like Long Beach, this is looking more like a kite-surf day than a paddle session.
Monday the 31st of August finally shows a glimmer. Offshore winds from the S in the morning shift SSE in the afternoon, with clean conditions and swell around 7 feet (morning) and 5 feet (afternoon). The combined energy drops to moderate (976), but the wind is gentle and offshore – that’s what we want. This is the first proper clean window, but it’s not big. Then we hit a big swell early September.
From September 1st, the swell cranks up – 12 to 16 feet from the SW to SSE – but the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore and strong (up to 28 mph). The energy numbers are massive (over 5000), but this is big, lumpy, and messy. September 2nd has strong offshore wind in the afternoon with 12 feet from WSW, and though it’s clean, it’s going to be hard work paddling into. For experienced surfers only. Wednesday the 3rd and Thursday the 4th stay huge – 13 to 16 feet from the SE with cross-off winds, clean but still massive. The combined energy is very strong (over 5000). This is big wave territory and not for the faint-hearted.
Now, the true standout arrives on Saturday, September 6th (yes, that’s over a week away). Saturday morning we’ve got 8 feet from the S, with a gentle cross-off breeze from the ESE at only 9 mph – clean, mellow, and the report says “expect very good surf conditions”. The combined energy is moderate-to-strong (1970). Sunday the 6th afternoon keeps that 8 feet from the S with a light breeze (6 mph) and clean conditions. This is the window. The swell direction (S) is a bit off the optimum SW for Long Beach, but the wind is light and the quality is there. Paddle out early Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon – that’s the pick of the whole run.
After that, Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th drop back to small (4 to 5 feet) with longer period SW swell (15-16 seconds), but light cross-on winds and low energy keep it marginal. Not worth the drive.
So if you’re holding out for something good, aim clean and steady on Monday, August 31st, or if you’ve got a bigger board and patience, September 6th is the best on offer. Everything else is either too windy, too big and messy, or just flat.
– Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Tue afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri night, min 14°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 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) | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
460 | 2350 | 2323 | 1831 | 1093 | 669 | 559 | 401 | 446 | 280 | 244 | 326 | 534 | 484 | 433 | 856 | 994 | 2196 | 1680 | 1338 | |
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 | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 7:13 | — | — | 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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
460 | 2350 | 2323 | 1831 | 1093 | 669 | 525 | 284 | 446 | 280 | 244 | 326 | 534 | 484 | 433 | 856 | 994 | 2196 | 1680 | 1338 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | W 11 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | WSW 12 | SSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 |
422 | 154 | 226 | 217 | 204 | 180 | 221 | 401 | 256 | 190 | 173 | 163 | 214 | 98 | 158 | 65 | 21 | 23 | 11 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WSW 12 | SE 9 | WSW 11 | SSW 10 | WSW 11 | ESE 12 | SE 5 | WSW 16 | SE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 |
314 | — | — | — | 99 | 256 | 329 | 274 | 88 | 180 | 97 | 121 | 13 | 11 | 273 | 44 | 15 | 22 | 17 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | — | SE 2 | SE 3 | — | W 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 9 | — | — | — |
16 | 45 | 113 | 200 | 363 | 585 | 559 | 771 | 5 | 4 | — | 1 | 7 | — | 10 | 36 | 601 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 24 | 24 | 411 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
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.











