
Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 5,914 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.0m and 14s period. 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 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
We’ve got a stretch of surf coming up at Long Beach, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The first solid window doesn’t start until Saturday afternoon, so you’ll be waiting a bit. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.
The real standout is shaping up for Saturday afternoon, the 8th of August. We’ve got a solid 13ft SW swell rolling in with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is massive at 5914. Winds are swinging offshore from the south, which will keep it clean. This is a big one, over 8ft, so it’s expert territory. The swell direction is right on the money for Long Beach, which is a sandbar setup that needs a southwest swell. Expect some power. Crowds are often a thing here, so be ready for company.
Sunday the 9th is still big, with 10ft to 12ft SSW swell, but the wind is howling offshore from the SSE at 25 mph. That’s strong offshore, making it hard to paddle into. The energy is still high (2866-3399), but it’s a battle. Not the best for a casual session.
Through the week it drops off. Monday and Tuesday see smaller swell, down to 8ft and then 4ft by Tuesday afternoon. The wind improves, going light and cross-off, and Tuesday afternoon actually looks clean with a combined energy of 1241. It’s a good option for a fun, less intense session.
Wednesday the 12th is a gem. The swell pops back up to 7ft from the SW, but the period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is 2748, and the wind is a light cross-off from the SE. This is clean, powerful, and will have some nice shape. At 7ft, it’s still manageable for strong intermediates. The long period might make it a bit straight at a beach break, but with the right sandbar, it’ll be good.
Thursday the 13th is a step down. The swell is 8-8ft from the WSW, but the wind is light cross or cross-on, so it’s not as clean. The energy is still there (3262-4275) but the quality is marginal.
Friday the 14th afternoon is a beauty. The wind goes glassy, and you’ve got a 6ft WSW swell with a 14-second period. Energy is 1495. This is clean, glassy, and user-friendly. A great session for anyone.
After that, the weekend of the 15th and 16th is messy. Saturday the 15th is a write-off with strong onshore wind and poor conditions. Sunday the 16th afternoon sees a return of 10ft WSW swell with gentle offshore wind from the SSE. The energy is 3332, and it’s clean. That’s a solid option for experienced surfers again.
Monday the 17th is another glassy morning, with 8ft WSW swell and 13-second period. Very clean, light wind. A good one to get out.
Then from Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 20th, the wind goes onshore or cross-on, and the conditions are poor. The swell is 6ft to 8ft, but it’s just not worth it. There’s a gap of poor days.
Friday the 21st is marginal, with a small 4ft swell and cleaner offshore wind, but the energy is low (811).
Now, the big one at the end: Saturday the 22nd of August. This is a massive 16ft WSW swell with a 13-14 second period. The combined energy is off the charts at 7603 to 9396. This is huge, only for experts. The wind is cross-off from the SE, so it’ll be clean, but at that size, it’s a beast. The wave direction is good, but this is a serious, heavy swell.
Finally, Sunday the 23rd of August, the swell drops to 8ft from the WSW, the wind goes glassy, and the energy is 3350. This is a beautiful, clean, powerful session for experienced surfers to finish the run.
The one to circle is Saturday afternoon, the 8th of August, for the big, clean SW swell. The second best is Wednesday the 12th, for the long period groundswell and clean conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Fri night, strong winds from the SSE by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed night, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Mon night, light winds from the ESE by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
3720 | 2961 | 5914 | 4020 | 2489 | 3399 | 2005 | 1546 | 1070 | 2187 | 904 | 483 | 1814 | 2397 | 2402 | 2201 | 4138 | 3262 | 1880 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 10:22PM1.20m | 11:32AM1.09m | 11:55PM1.25m | 12:49PM1.22m | 1:05AM1.35m | 1:45PM1.37m | 2:00AM1.45m | 2:32PM1.51m | 2:47AM1.53m | 3:14PM1.62m | 3:29AM1.56m | 3:53PM1.68m | 4:09AM1.56m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:10AM0.43m | 5:36PM0.51m | 6:33AM0.34m | 6:57PM0.39m | 7:32AM0.21m | 7:55PM0.25m | 8:20AM0.10m | 8:44PM0.13m | 9:02AM0.02m | 9:27PM0.05m | 9:40AM-0.01m | 10:08PM0.02m | |||||||
— | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
6:09 | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
3720 | 2961 | 5914 | 4020 | 2489 | — | 2005 | 1546 | 665 | 2187 | 904 | 483 | 1814 | 2397 | 2402 | 2201 | 4138 | 3262 | 1880 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 24 | SSW 11 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SW 21 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 311 | 66 | 20 | 289 | 247 | 291 | 281 | 1290 | 137 | 325 | 142 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 17 | SW 27 | WSW 10 | — | SW 10 | SW 10 | SE 8 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 28 | 22 | — | 87 | 65 | 129 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 7 | SSW 12 | — | SSW 11 | S 10 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | — |
— | — | — | — | 377 | 3399 | — | 1268 | 1070 | 239 | 410 | 447 | 468 | 953 | 632 | 497 | 506 | 154 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 9 | 0 | 49 | 349 | 1432 | 24 | 200 | 39 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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.











