
Surf Forecasts:
Monwabisi Strand surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 2,929 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period with SW 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 14s period. 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Monwabisi Strand over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's comin' down the line for the Cape Town surf scene.
Alright, so we're lookin' at a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some real gems hidden in there if you're patient. The first few days are a bit of a write-off with that Saturday morning session being the only early highlight, but it's a solid one for the crew that knows what they're doin'. Then we've got a gap of a few days of pretty average stuff before things really clean up.
Right off the bat, Saturday morning, August 8th at Monwabisi Strand is a shout. We've got a solid 5.9ft SW groundswell rollin' in, with a period of 13 seconds and a hefty combined energy of (1144). That's a lot of power, and with a light offshore N wind at 9 mph, it's gonna be clean. The water temp is sittin' at 58.6°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothin' to worry about there. This is one for the experienced surfers, though – that's a lot of water movin' around for a beginner.
Now, after that, it turns a bit messy. Sunday and Monday are a no-go with strong onshore winds and lumpy conditions. You'll be sittin' that one out.
But hold on to your hats, because Wednesday, August 12th is where it's at. The morning session is lookin' good: 3.6ft of SW swell, but the period is a massive 19 seconds – that's a proper long-period groundswell with heaps of energy (1621). The wind is a light cross-offshore ENE breeze, so it's gonna be clean. Then, Wednesday afternoon is the absolute standout. The swell is 3.9ft from the SW, still with a very long 18-second period and energy of (1290). But the wind? It's glassy. A SSE breeze at just 3 mph. That's as good as it gets. The waves are gonna be smooth, lined up, and perfect. Again, this is expert territory with that swell power, but if you're good, this is the session to circle.
Thursday, August 13th morning keeps the dream alive with 5.2ft SW swell, 18-second period, and 2007 energy, with a light offshore E wind. Clean again. The water will be a bit cooler, but who cares when it's that good.
After that, the swell drops off into the back half of the week, with smaller, cleaner waves for the weekend of the 15th and 16th, but the wind starts to come onshore again. Not great, but surfable.
Lookin' further out, there's a promising run towards the end of the forecast. Monday, August 17th has a glassy afternoon with a 3.6ft SW swell, 12-second period, and clean. Then Tuesday, August 18th is another beauty with a glassy afternoon and 3.9ft of clean, long-period SW swell. That's a solid pick for the second week.
Finally, the last real standout is Sunday morning, August 23rd. We're talkin' 6.2ft of SW groundswell, 12-second period, and a combined energy of (1061). And the wind is glassy. Absolutely glassy. That's a rare combination for a wave that size. That is a big, clean, powerful day for the experts only. That's a "call in sick" kind of morning.
So, the pick of the litter is Wednesday afternoon, August 12th for that glassy, long-period groundswell. And if you're lookin' at the long-range, Sunday, August 23rd is a very promising, but less certain, beast of a session.
Stay salty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 9 | S 10 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SW 22 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1144 | 2506 | 1783 | 940 | 1735 | 994 | 459 | 951 | 1877 | 1022 | 361 | 778 | 920 | 881 | 890 | 1610 | 1042 | 611 | 350 | 346 | 308 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 11:32AM1.10m | 11:56PM1.26m | 12:49PM1.23m | 1:06AM1.36m | 1:46PM1.39m | 2:01AM1.47m | 2:32PM1.53m | 2:47AM1.55m | 3:14PM1.64m | 3:29AM1.58m | 3:53PM1.70m | 4:08AM1.58m | 4:29PM1.71m | 4:45AM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:37PM0.52m | 6:34AM0.34m | 6:58PM0.39m | 7:33AM0.22m | 7:56PM0.25m | 8:21AM0.10m | 8:45PM0.13m | 9:02AM0.02m | 9:28PM0.05m | 9:40AM-0.02m | 10:08PM0.02m | 10:16AM-0.01m | 10:46PM0.04m | ||||||||
7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
— | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 16 |
Feels °C | 11 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SE 8 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
1144 | 2506 | 1783 | 940 | — | 994 | 220 | 308 | 1877 | 1022 | 361 | 138 | 920 | 881 | 844 | 1610 | 1042 | 611 | 350 | 346 | 308 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | S 26 | SW 25 | SW 22 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SW 21 | SE 5 | SE 12 | SE 8 | SE 11 | SE 12 | WSW 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 176 | 101 | 14 | 96 | 778 | 79 | 37 | 890 | 14 | 34 | 35 | 30 | 21 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | SW 11 | — | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SE 9 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | SE 12 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 76 | — | 27 | 10 | 135 | 54 | 26 | 70 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 6 | SSW 12 | — | S 9 | S 10 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | — | — | NW 4 | NW 4 | NNW 3 |
— | — | — | 165 | 1735 | — | 459 | 951 | 299 | 466 | 201 | 587 | 568 | 346 | 321 | 365 | — | — | 9 | 24 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 42 | 11 | 422 | 1440 | 42 | 45 | 368 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.











