
Surf Forecasts:
Monwabisi Strand surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 3,844 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Monwabisi Strand this week:
The surf forecast for Monwabisi Strand over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Monwabisi Strand in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Monwabisi Strand over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
The next stretch of surf is a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We’ve got a promising window early on, but it’s bookended by some messy, blown-out conditions. The water temp is sitting right on the average for this time of year, so nothing crazy there.
Our first call is at Monwabisi Strand (Monwabisi-Strand) for Wednesday morning, the 5th. There’s some fun, clean surf on offer with a 5ft SW swell riding a solid 16-second period. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, which is keeping things tidy. The combined energy is moderate at 1066, so there’s a bit of push behind it. It’s a decent start, but the afternoon looks like it’ll cop a stronger cross-off wind and drop off in quality.
Thursday the 6th is a bit of a write-off. The swell bumps up to 7ft but it’s coming in with a cross-on wind that’s making it lumpy and chopped. Not worth getting too excited about.
Now, here’s the standout. Friday morning, the 7th of August, is the one to circle. The swell is a solid 7ft from the SSW, with a long 15-second period. The wind is glassy, absolutely dead. This is groundswell perfection for a spot like this. The combined energy is strong at 2042, and it’s going to be clean and lined up. This is the best session on offer in the near term. The afternoon still has size at 8ft but the wind swings onshore, so get it while it’s clean.
Saturday the 8th has a similar story. The morning is a bit smaller at 6ft, but the afternoon glass-off looks excellent with 7ft of SSW swell. Another good call if you missed the Friday morning.
Sunday the 9th is a write-off. Strong cross-onshore winds and building swell up to 10ft will make it a messy, stormy mess. This is one for the kitesurfers, not the paddle crowd.
Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are average at best. The swell drops a little, and we get fresh cross-shore winds that aren’t doing any favors. There’s still some waves in the 6ft to 8ft range, but it’s lumpy and not very inviting.
Then we hit a lull. From Wednesday the 12th through to Sunday the 16th, the swell dies right down. We’re looking at small, weak waves in the 2ft to 4ft range. There are some glassy windows, especially on the 13th with a long-period SW groundswell, but it’s just not going to have any power. The energy levels drop into the low hundreds, so it’s a real wait-and-see period. The 14th, 15th, and 16th are all pretty gutless.
The surf comes back to life on Monday the 17th with a building WSW swell, but the quality is still poor. Then Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th see a return to 6ft to 7ft swell, but it’s onshore and choppy again.
But hold on, because there’s something big brewing. Thursday the 20th of August is a monster. The model is showing a 12ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and the energy is massive at 5261. The wind is favorable, but this is just too big for Monwabisi. It’s promising to be a real beast, but it’s only going to be for the experts. The combined energy is absolutely pumping, but at this size, the break is going to be closing out and dangerous. It’s one to watch from the shore, or maybe a spot further down the coast if you know where to go.
So, overall: Friday the 7th is your clear winner, with Saturday afternoon the 8th as a solid backup. The end of the run has a huge swell, but it’s too much for this spot. Keep your eyes on that Friday morning.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Wed afternoon, calm by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, strong winds from the SSE by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSW 11 | SW 21 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1005 | 979 | 1719 | 1408 | 1305 | 1390 | 2042 | 2479 | 1784 | 1077 | 1759 | 2466 | 1075 | 2580 | 1001 | 898 | 963 | 706 | 976 | 331 | 840 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:37PM1.34m | 8:16AM1.11m | 8:46PM1.25m | 9:49AM1.06m | 10:22PM1.21m | 11:32AM1.10m | 11:56PM1.26m | 12:49PM1.23m | 1:06AM1.36m | 1:46PM1.39m | 2:01AM1.47m | 2:32PM1.53m | 2:47AM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:09PM0.39m | 2:06AM0.40m | 2:11PM0.49m | 3:28AM0.46m | 3:46PM0.55m | 5:10AM0.44m | 5:37PM0.52m | 6:34AM0.34m | 6:58PM0.39m | 7:33AM0.22m | 7:56PM0.25m | 8:21AM0.10m | 8:45PM0.13m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 11 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | S 13 | SW 26 | SSW 11 | SW 21 |
1005 | 979 | 1719 | 1408 | 1305 | 1390 | 2042 | 2479 | 1784 | 1077 | 1759 | 2466 | 1075 | 2580 | 389 | 174 | 165 | 434 | 27 | 331 | 840 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | SW 11 | S 14 | SW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 24 | SE 8 |
41 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 638 | 57 | 169 | 68 | 143 | 98 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | SSW 10 | SSE 10 | WSW 10 | SSW 11 |
20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | — | 140 | 10 | 40 | 150 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 5 | — | — | ESE 4 | E 3 | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SE 8 | E 3 |
15 | 70 | 22 | — | — | 30 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 943 | 2508 | 1001 | 898 | 963 | 706 | 976 | 187 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 306 | 29 | 5 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 200 | 308 | 1391 | 2671 | 202 | 2863 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Monwabisi Strand Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Monwabisi Strand provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Monwabisi Strand can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Monwabisi Strand 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 (Monwabisi Strand) 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 Monwabisi Strand 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.
Monwabisi Strand is 17 km (11 miles) from the city of Stellenbosch. If you plan a holiday in Cape Town, look for hotels and other accommodation in Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











