Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 3,981 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 14s period. 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 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's take a proper look at what’s comin’ down for Long Beach. We’ve got a real mixed bag of a forecast ahead, with some seriously good windows tangled up with some howling wind that’ll turn it ugly.
First up, the star of the show this week: Wednesday, September 2nd. It’s not often you see this quality. At Long Beach, that southwest groundswell is pumping with a solid 10 ft and a long 13 second period. That’s a proper groundswell with some real grunt. The wave energy is cooking (3471). The kicker is that morning wind is light and offshore from the south, making it clean. The water’s a bit colder than what we’re used to for this time of year, sitting at 57°F. If you’re an experienced surfer, that Wednesday morning is the best on offer. Suss out the outgoing tide. The afternoon holds up, with a cross-off breeze and the swell just as good, but that morning window is peak. That’s the standout right there.
Thursday morning, September 3rd, still has a 6 ft swell from the west-southwest, with a moderate offshore wind making it clean. Very good surf, but the wind does pick up dramatically in the afternoon. By Thursday arvo and all through Friday, that wind turns into a gale from the south-east, hitting 34 mph and beyond. The swell jumps up, but it’s blown to pieces from the side. The wave energy is still around, but it’s not for a paddler—if you’ve got a kite, you’ll be looking at this setup more than the surfboard. It’s a write-off for us.
Saturday, September 5th, is the same story. Strong winds and a messy 10 ft swell from the south-east. Not worth the paddle.
Then we get a bit of magic again. Sunday morning, September 6th, is a wild card. The swell changes direction back to the southwest and the period is massive—18 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell with 8 ft of height. The wave energy is huge (4064). At Long Beach this could be tricky because a period that long can make a beach break very straight and fast, but the glassy conditions on Sunday afternoon (light 3 mph wind from the south-southeast) are absolutely incredible. That glassy, clean skin on the water makes it a must-check session for experienced surfers. Sunday is the second standout.
Monday, September 7th, brings onshore wind and a drop to 7 ft. Poor again. Tuesday, September 8th, is tiny and weak (energy down to 316-533). It’s barely surfable. You're better off sleeping in.
We luck out again on Wednesday, September 9th. A morning offshore breeze with a 4 ft groundswell from the southwest, period of 15 seconds. That’s clean and will peel nicely. Very good surf. Thursday, September 10th, follows up with a solid 7 ft swell from the west-southwest and light offshore winds. Expect very good surf all day.
From that point on, the second week gets messy quickly. Friday, September 11th, has moderate swell but the wind is cranked up again and the conditions drop off. From Saturday, September 12th, through to Wednesday, September 16th, it’s a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The wind is relentless, mostly a stiff breeze from the south-east or east, and the waves are big but blown out—some of that swell is over 10 ft with periods over 14 seconds, charging with wave energy as high as 5972 on the 16th, but the onshore wind is ruining it. Only expert chargers on a jet ski would be looking at that, if at all.
The final few days, September 17th, show a possible improvement as the wind drops and the swell is still huge (12 ft, 16 seconds). The wave energy is massive at 5406, but the wind is cross-off. It could clean up by arvo. Keep an eye on it, but it's a long way out.
Best on offer? No contest: Wednesday morning, September 2nd, and Sunday, September 6th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Wed night, gales from the SE by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Sat morning, calm by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | WSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3471 | 2723 | 1700 | 934 | 2508 | 2087 | 1383 | 1191 | 1240 | 1166 | 1361 | 2113 | 3723 | 2087 | 1542 | 1408 | 1228 | 761 | 270 | 164 | 225 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:18PM1.41m | 6:48AM1.20m | 7:10PM1.28m | 7:55AM1.08m | 8:30PM1.15m | 9:46AM1.03m | 10:28PM1.12m | 11:38AM1.11m | 00:04AM1.20m | 12:47PM1.27m | 1:06AM1.32m | 1:35PM1.43m | 1:53AM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:59AM0.28m | 00:39AM0.30m | 12:46PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.42m | 1:54PM0.53m | 3:14AM0.51m | 3:57PM0.59m | 5:14AM0.48m | 5:54PM0.50m | 6:32AM0.36m | 7:02PM0.35m | 7:23AM0.23m | 7:50PM0.20m | ||||||||
7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
— | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | WSW 13 |
3471 | 2723 | 1700 | 934 | 475 | 311 | 143 | 93 | 99 | 114 | 88 | 2113 | 3723 | 2087 | 1542 | 1408 | 1228 | 761 | 270 | 164 | 225 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 10 | — | WNW 14 | — | — | S 14 | S 13 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 10 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 11 | SW 16 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SSW 10 |
— | — | 145 | — | 41 | — | — | 15 | 86 | 67 | 38 | 98 | 341 | 156 | 69 | 20 | 18 | 41 | 186 | 133 | 94 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | S 11 | — | SW 26 | SW 13 | — | — | S 11 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | ESE 12 | SW 15 | NW 4 | W 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | 9 | — | 104 | 42 | — | — | 3 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 56 | 10 | 62 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | — |
— | — | — | 192 | 2508 | 2087 | 1383 | 1191 | 1240 | 1166 | 1361 | 774 | 898 | 436 | — | 40 | 46 | 35 | 21 | 9 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 202 | 1308 | 1470 | 3889 | 24 | 12 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











