Surf Forecasts:
Long Beach surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with 4,467 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.8m 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Long Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Rusty here again, with the same read in feet and miles.
We’ve got a slow start at Long Beach. The first few days are mostly messy, with a stiff crosswind and lumpy stuff. You’ll be waiting until Sunday morning, September 20th for the first real opener.
That morning on the 20th is your best early bet. The water is about normal for mid-September. Swell is 6ft from the SW, period at 13 seconds – plenty of shape and power for a sandbar. The energy is moderate (1150), but the big story is the glassy surface. Zero wind means butter-smooth takeoffs. It’s a rare treat for this spot, and it’ll draw a crowd, so paddle out early. It could be inconsistent, so take what you get and make it count.
Skip ahead to Friday afternoon, September 25th. The swell bumps to a solid 8ft from the SSW, which is big enough to keep the beginners on the sand. It’s got a moderate to strong energy (1516) and a gentle offshore wind. Super clean, punchy, and great for anyone with a bit of experience. This is a proper afternoon session.
The best stretch of the whole 16 days comes at the end. Sunday, September 27th morning and afternoon are both absolute bangers. Swell is at 8ft from the SW and WSW, period hitting 16 seconds – that’s serious groundswell. The energy is very strong (3534) and you’ve got offshore winds the whole time. It’s going to be big, clean, and powerful. This is expert-only territory, but for those who can handle it, this is the day. Mark it down.
Between now and then, there are a few clean-ish days in the second week, but the swell is small or the wind is borderline. The 20th, the 25th, and the 27th are your windows. Don’t waste your time on the rest.
Get out there when it’s right.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the SE by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Tue night, strong winds from the SE by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | NW 7 | NW 7 | SW 14 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2038 | 3525 | 2633 | 1665 | 1119 | 732 | 473 | 556 | 386 | 387 | 1829 | 3820 | 1837 | 1319 | 854 | 840 | 652 | 992 | 886 | 2063 | 2557 |
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 | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:16AM1.51m | 4:29PM1.62m | 4:47AM1.44m | 4:59PM1.53m | 5:18AM1.35m | 5:29PM1.40m | 5:49AM1.24m | 5:59PM1.27m | 6:22AM1.13m | 6:35PM1.13m | 7:07AM1.01m | 7:27PM1.00m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.08m | 10:49AM0.16m | 11:15PM0.17m | 11:18AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 11:47AM0.38m | 00:14AM0.41m | 12:19PM0.50m | 00:52AM0.53m | 1:01PM0.63m | 2:01AM0.64m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:38 | — | — | 6:38 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | 23 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 2038 | 3525 | 2633 | 1665 | 1119 | 732 | 473 | 349 | 241 | 387 | 1829 | 3820 | 1837 | 1319 | 854 | 840 | 652 | 992 | 734 | 2063 | 2557 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 13 | SW 18 | WSW 8 | SW 15 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | SW 14 | ESE 8 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 251 | 104 | 31 | 26 | 314 | 207 | 648 | 878 | 728 | 461 | 144 | 104 | 21 | 886 | 12 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 13 | SW 17 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 46 | 16 | 7 | 38 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 |
| kJ | 778 | 903 | 674 | 470 | 530 | 13 | 215 | 556 | 386 | 328 | 279 | — | 98 | 239 | 386 | 363 | 451 | 247 | 119 | 92 | 73 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 161 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 83 | 409 | 76 | 235 | 235 | 0 | 46 | 47 | 24 | 31 | 24 | 24 | 328 | 428 | 6 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Long Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest