Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 8,393 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period with SSW 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 (Aug 26) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 8s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's break down what the next couple of weeks are looking like.
First off, there's a bit of a wait. The first decent surf shows up on Wednesday the 26th of August. Long Beach is a sandbar break, and it's fairly consistent. The water temp is about 59°, which is roughly 2° cooler than usual for this time of year – so pretty standard, just a bit chilly.
That Wednesday afternoon looks tidy. We've got a clean 4-foot swell rolling in from the WSW with a solid 12-second period. The wind is a cross-off ESE breeze at 9 mph, keeping things clean. The combined energy of all swells directed here is strong, around 1480, so there's plenty of push. It's a good start, but not the standout.
The real star of the show looks like Saturday the 29th of August. Saturday morning starts promising with a clean 5-foot WSW swell, 15-second period, and light offshore winds from the south at 6 mph. Then Saturday afternoon, it gets even better. The swell jumps to 7 feet from the WSW, period at 14 seconds, and the wind picks up to 16 mph from the SSW, but it's offshore. That's a moderate offshore and clean, with wave energy hitting 2252. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell is over 7 feet, so it's going to be a bit much for beginners, but for those who know what they're doing, this is the session to aim for. The long period (15 seconds) on the morning means longer gaps between sets, making the paddle out a bit easier, and the offshore wind will hold the faces up nicely.
Sunday the 30th still has some size, with 8-foot swell in the morning, but the wind is onshore from the north, so it'll be messy. The afternoon cleans up with a gentle offshore from the SSW at 9 mph, bringing back clean conditions. The swell energy is still strong at 1662.
Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September are a write-off. The wind goes ugly, and the swell gets too big and messy. By Tuesday the 1st, we're looking at 12 to 13 feet of slop with onshore gales. That's a no-go for surfing – looks more like a kite-surfing setup if you're into that sort of thing.
Things get interesting again on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning brings an 12-foot SW swell with a 13-second period, but the key is the wind: a moderate 16 mph offshore from the SSE. That's clean, powerful, and for experienced surfers only. The wave energy is 3857, so there's serious grunt. This is a solid option if you're an expert, but it's over a week away, so keep an eye on the forecasts.
The rest of the outlook drops off. Thursday the 3rd through to the 10th of September has either too much wind, dropping swell, or poor conditions. There's a small window on the morning of Friday the 4th with an 8-foot SE swell and cross-off winds, but it's marginal. After that, it's a slow fade into small, weak, and choppy surf.
So, to sum it up: the standout is the Saturday the 29th of August, with the afternoon session being the pick of the entire forecast. The Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is also a top-tier option for the experienced crew. The rest of the time, you're either waiting or dealing with messy conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Wed night, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
446 | 607 | 573 | 465 | 323 | 659 | 491 | 970 | 1337 | 1028 | 1990 | 1751 | 1207 | 959 | 906 | 1565 | 2496 | 3370 | 6937 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 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 | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:22AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:48AM0.11m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:21AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | ||||||
— | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | |
6:23 | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 8 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
446 | 607 | 573 | 465 | 323 | 659 | 491 | 970 | 1337 | 434 | 1990 | 1751 | 1207 | 959 | 906 | 1565 | 2496 | 3370 | 6937 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | WSW 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | — |
322 | 256 | 221 | 126 | 121 | 214 | 130 | 90 | 97 | 1028 | 22 | 10 | 105 | 50 | 9 | 3 | 3 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | ESE 8 | SSE 11 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | — | — | — |
138 | 62 | 24 | 146 | 198 | 63 | 133 | 68 | 6 | 48 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 186 | 285 |
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.











