Surf Forecasts:
Nine Mile Reef surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 18s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 4,707 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s 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 (Jul 21) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Nine Mile Reef in the next 16 days are 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) 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 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nine Mile Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's check out what's headed to Nine Mile Reef.
We've got a good run of waves on the way, starting early on Tuesday, July 21st. That opening morning is a looker: glassy conditions with a clean 6ft SSW swell, carrying a ton of energy (1397). This is proper groundswell with a 14-second period, giving you well-shaped lines along the reef. It's got some punch, so this one's for the experienced crew. Water temp is about what you'd expect for this time of year, nothing wild.
The afternoon swings onshore, and the quality drops. We then get a solid stretch from Wednesday the 22nd through Thursday the 23rd. Wednesday morning has a clean offshore NNW breeze grooming a 5ft SW swell (606) – a much friendlier size for the average surfer. Thursday afternoon is the standout of that first week: a clean 6ft SSW groundswell (1251) with a clean offshore N wind. That's going to be pumping.
Now, Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th see the swell jack up. We're talking 8ft on Friday morning and 8ft on Saturday afternoon. That's expert-only territory – way too much power and size for most. Those waves will have serious weight, so only the gnarliest crew should be out there.
Sunday the 26th brings a nice reset. Glassy conditions with a smaller 4ft SSW swell (678). Perfect for a longboard or a fun mid-length.
The outlook gets messy from Monday the 27th through Tuesday the 28th. Strong onshore winds and lumpy conditions kill the vibe. Some fresh cross-onshore wind makes it choppy. This stretch looks more interesting for kite-surfing than paddle surfing.
We get a little relief on Wednesday the 29th, but the quality's still nothing special. The next real highlight comes on Thursday, July 30th. Glassy conditions with a 5ft to 4ft SSW groundswell, period over 13 seconds. That'll be clean, lined-up reef waves for the experienced surfer.
Then we hit Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st – this is the absolute best of the whole forecast. Friday is glassy all day with a building 3ft SW swell, but Saturday morning is the peak. A clean 5ft SW groundswell with a very long 16-second period (1112) and glassy conditions. This is a special long-range groundswell that will wrap perfectly into the reef. It's not huge, but the quality and shape will be world-class. Circle that one on your calendar.
The trend fades out a bit through Sunday and Monday, with some onshore wind returning. Still, there's a good run here for just about every level if you pick your days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon night, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 259 | 1376 | 1370 | 778 | 597 | 433 | 472 | 671 | 1144 | 4377 | 2625 | 1874 | 1261 | 1188 | 784 | 579 | 433 | 668 | 607 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | on | glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | on |
High Tide | 8:12AM1.08m | 8:35PM1.21m | 9:19AM1.01m | 9:42PM1.12m | 10:47AM0.98m | 11:05PM1.09m | 12:11PM1.02m | 00:20AM1.12m | 1:11PM1.10m | 1:15AM1.18m | 1:54PM1.19m | 1:57AM1.26m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:13AM0.44m | 2:07PM0.51m | 3:13AM0.52m | 3:11PM0.61m | 4:33AM0.56m | 4:45PM0.65m | 5:57AM0.54m | 6:15PM0.62m | 7:00AM0.48m | 7:16PM0.55m | 7:45AM0.40m | 8:00PM0.47m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — |
 | 5:57 | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 54 | 1376 | 1370 | 778 | 597 | 433 | 472 | 671 | 1144 | 4377 | 2625 | 1874 | 1261 | 1188 | 784 | 579 | 433 | 668 | 607 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SW 20 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 18 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | S 21 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 259 | 21 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 142 | 7 | 7 | 100 | 23 | 22 | 108 | 1127 | 953 | 501 | 298 | 239 | 9 | 64 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | W 9 | W 9 | — | S 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | — | SE 13 | — | — | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | — | SE 11 | SE 5 | — | — |
| kJ | 68 | 25 | 14 | — | 4 | 8 | 44 | — | 7 | — | — | 21 | 12 | 5 | — | 4 | 6 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | NNW 3 | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 11 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 9 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 29 | 35 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 12 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 16 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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