Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 10,818 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 11s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Long Beach over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but once autumn kicks in, there’s some proper grunt coming our way. The water’s a bit colder than average for this time of year, sitting at 58°, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.
First up, Friday the 28th of August. It’s a quiet opener but the morning has clean 4-foot surf from the south with a 11-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is moderate (645). It’s not going to blow your mind but it’s surfable and tidy. The afternoon stays clean with 4-foot, but the swell swings to the west-southwest with a longer 14-second period, and the energy climbs a bit (846). Glassy conditions with that offshore wind make for a pleasant session.
Saturday the 29th sees a bump in size. The morning brings 5.6-foot from the west-southwest with a 15-second period, and a solid 1303 energy reading. The wind is cross-shore though, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. The afternoon cleans right up with a strong offshore breeze from the south, 4.6-foot, and a 14-second period, and the energy jumps to 1512. This is the pick of the early weekend – clean, powerful lines.
Sunday the 30th gets meaty. The morning has 8.2-foot from the southwest, 13-second period, and the energy is cranking at 2229. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon stays at 8.2-foot, though the period drops to 12 seconds, and the energy is still high at 1785 with a fresh offshore. This is getting into proper size – only for experienced surfers. The setup is a beach-and-reef affair, so that long-period groundswell might be a bit too straight for the beachies, but it’ll be a sight to see.
Monday the 31st is a nice drop back to 6.6-foot in the morning from the west-southwest, 11-second period, light offshore wind, and the energy is at 1045. The score says very good conditions, and I’d agree – the sets will be clean and you’ll have no trouble getting out. The afternoon is 6.2-foot, still clean, with a gentle offshore.
Now, here’s the standout: Tuesday, the 1st of September. This is the one to circle. Morning and afternoon both hold 8.2-foot from the southwest, a lovely 13-second period, and the energy is massive – 2340 and 2180. The wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping the surface glassy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell direction is straight out of the southwest, which is the optimum for this break. If you’re a confident paddle surfer, you’ll be in for a treat.
Wednesday the 2nd gets big. The morning sees 13.1-foot from the southwest, 15-second period, and the energy is a thumping 8380. That’s strong wave energy. The afternoon is 11.5-foot with 5338. But the wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the southeast, and the comment says marginal surf conditions. With that size and that period, this is strictly for the experts, and even then, it’s going to be a handful. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most folks.
From Thursday the 3rd through to Sunday the 6th, it turns ugly. The wind is howling from the southeast, gale force on the 4th, and the swell is all over the place. The 4th brings 11.5-foot to 13.1-foot from the southeast with a short 8-9 second period, but the wind is severe. The energy is high (2515 to 3428), but it’s a washing machine. Kite surfers will be loving it, but for paddlers, it’s a write-off.
Monday the 7th of September is a welcome return to calm. The morning is glassy with 4-foot from the west-southwest, 13-second period, and a light energy of 558. The afternoon is clean with the same size. It’s not big, but it’s beautiful.
Tuesday the 8th is small and glassy. The morning is 3-foot, the afternoon 2.6-foot, both with light winds. It’s ordinary but you could have a laugh on a longboard.
We get another gap of poor conditions from Wednesday the 9th to Thursday the 10th, with onshore winds and tiny waves.
Then, Friday the 11th of September brings a late burst. The morning has 7.5-foot from the southwest, 12-second period, and the energy is 1530. The wind is a clean cross-offshore. The score says very good conditions. After that long run of junk, this is a real gift
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri night, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Sun morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Mon night, fresh winds from the SE by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
326 | 569 | 491 | 1145 | 756 | 1093 | 2207 | 1765 | 1547 | 1045 | 806 | 884 | 2340 | 2180 | 3674 | 8380 | 5338 | 3133 | 1524 | 949 | 1690 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:33PM1.59m | 3:44AM1.50m | 4:01PM1.63m | 4:15AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:22AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | 6:01AM1.31m | 6:18PM1.41m | 6:48AM1.20m | 7:10PM1.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:22AM0.09m | 9:44PM0.11m | 9:49AM0.06m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.07m | 10:45PM0.08m | 10:48AM0.11m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:21AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | 11:59AM0.28m | 00:39AM0.30m | 12:46PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.42m | |||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | |
— | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
326 | 569 | 491 | 1145 | 756 | 573 | 2207 | 1765 | 1547 | 1045 | 806 | 884 | 2340 | 2180 | 3674 | 8380 | 5338 | 3133 | 1524 | 949 | 405 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | WSW 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | — | SE 10 | SW 13 | — | — | SW 19 | — | — | — | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 15 |
121 | 214 | 130 | 90 | 97 | 1093 | 22 | 20 | 10 | — | 4 | 486 | — | — | 2051 | — | — | — | 273 | 308 | 167 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | S 11 | SSE 11 | E 12 | E 13 | — | — | — | SE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 11 |
198 | 63 | 133 | 68 | 86 | 40 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 10 | — | — | — | SSE 7 | — | — | SE 3 | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 |
— | — | — | — | 573 | — | — | — | 91 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | 115 | 195 | 300 | 274 | 1690 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 278 | 0 | 106 | 349 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 12 | 24 | 1 | 24 | 162 | 200 |
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.











