Surf Forecasts:
Nine Mile Reef surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,831 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Nine Mile Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Nine Mile Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Nine Mile Reef in the next 16 days are 2.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nine Mile Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up for Nine Mile Reef over the next 16 days. The opening stretch is dominated by a strong pulse of swell that’s just too big for this spot, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so the first few days are a write-off. The water’s sitting at 58°F, which is about 3°F cooler than usual for this time of year—so a bit of a chill in the water.
The first real chance of a decent session doesn’t show up until Sunday, September 6th. The morning brings a long-period groundswell from the SSW at 5ft with a period of 19 seconds—that’s a very long period, which means the waves will have heaps of energy and a nice shape, but they’ll be a bit fat and setty. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so there’s a little chop, but it’s not blown out. The combined swell energy is strong at 1698. It’s not the cleanest, but it’s the first real surfable window.
The standout of the whole period looks like Monday, September 7th. The morning is absolutely glassy—light NW wind, clean as a whistle. The swell is 5ft from the S with a 13-second period, which is a solid groundswell. The combined energy is moderate at 817, but with that glassy wind, the waves will be clean and lined up. This is the best morning on offer, and it’s a beginner-friendly size, so it’s a good one for a paddle.
After that, the swell drops right off. Tuesday, September 8th has clean offshore winds but only 2ft from the SSE—too small for much fun. Wednesday, September 9th is basically flat with poor conditions.
The next real highlight comes on Thursday, September 10th. The morning is glassy again with a 4ft swell from the SW, 15-second period, and combined energy of 653. That’s a nice, clean, long-period groundswell. The offshore wind is dead calm, so the reef will be smooth. This is a solid call—worth a look.
Friday, September 11th has a similar setup: glassy morning, 4ft from the SW, 13-second period, energy at 521. Clean and surfable, but slightly smaller.
The following week has a few flickers. Monday, September 14th has a 6ft swell from the SSE with a 9-second period—that’s a shorter period, so it’ll be a bit more crumbly. The morning is glassy though, so it’s clean. The size is a bit bigger, still fine for intermediates. Combined energy is moderate at 806.
The last decent-looking window is Wednesday, September 16th. A clean morning with a WNW cross-off wind, 4ft from the SSW, 12-second period, and energy at 498. It’s a small but tidy wave.
Overall, the best sessions are definitely the glassy mornings on the 7th, 10th, and 11th. The 7th is the pick of the bunch—clean, glassy, and a solid 5ft groundswell. If you’re keen, that Monday morning is the one to get wet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, strong winds from the SSE by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the NE by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | ESE 8 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1272 | 1722 | 1814 | 1299 | 1083 | 466 | 737 | 1175 | 885 | 698 | 521 | 340 | 213 | 347 | 292 | 1388 | 1157 | 493 | 663 | 623 | 403 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | off |
High Tide | 5:37PM1.54m | 6:00AM1.33m | 6:18PM1.43m | 6:47AM1.21m | 7:09PM1.29m | 7:54AM1.09m | 8:29PM1.16m | 9:45AM1.04m | 10:28PM1.13m | 11:38AM1.12m | 00:04AM1.21m | 12:47PM1.28m | 1:06AM1.34m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:21AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | 11:59AM0.28m | 00:38AM0.30m | 12:45PM0.40m | 1:37AM0.43m | 1:54PM0.54m | 3:13AM0.52m | 3:57PM0.60m | 5:15AM0.49m | 5:55PM0.51m | 6:33AM0.36m | 7:03PM0.36m | ||||||||
7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
— | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 23 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 25 | 26 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 15 | S 14 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 |
1272 | 1722 | 1814 | 1299 | 1083 | 466 | 184 | 118 | 68 | 4 | 15 | 29 | 102 | 137 | 292 | 1388 | 1157 | 474 | 663 | 623 | 403 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | — | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 10 | S 13 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SE 8 | WSW 13 | SE 10 | S 19 |
— | — | — | — | — | 146 | — | — | — | 8 | 36 | 34 | 16 | 14 | 52 | 89 | 56 | 125 | 17 | 192 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | — | — | — | S 14 | — | S 12 | — | SW 22 | SSW 13 | — | — | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | ESE 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | 59 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 10 | — | 18 | 67 | — | — | 30 | 137 | 129 | 189 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 737 | 1175 | 885 | 698 | 521 | 340 | 213 | 347 | 289 | 221 | 184 | 493 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 23 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 27 | 578 | 1473 | 1443 | 254 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
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)
Information about the Nine Mile Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Nine Mile Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Nine Mile Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Nine Mile Reef 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 (Nine Mile Reef) 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 Nine Mile Reef 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.
Nine Mile Reef is 19 km (12 miles) from the very large city of Bellville. If you plan a holiday in Cape Town, look for hotels and other accommodation in Bellville. Bellville has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as cheap car hire and transport links.











