
Surf Forecasts:
Onrus surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 8,314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Onrus this week:
The surf forecast for Onrus over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Onrus in the next 16 days are 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Onrus over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, lookin’ at the charts for the next couple of weeks. Let’s get into it.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a slow start. Tuesday afternoon at Onrus is surfable, but it’s pretty ordinary – a little 2ft swell from the west with a weak period and cross-off wind. Not worth getting wet for. The real story kicks off Wednesday morning, the 15th of July. A nice SW groundswell fills in at 4ft with a 17-second period, and we’ve got offshore winds. That’s proper clean surf for the experienced crew. The energy is strong at 1229, and it’s only going to get better.
Wednesday afternoon, the swell jumps to 7ft from the SW, still a long 16-second period, and the wind stays cross-off. The conditions are excellent, but that size is getting into the intermediate-to-expert zone. Thursday morning, the 16th, is the real standout of the first week. We’re looking at a 8ft SW swell with a 13-second period, and the wind is glassy offshore at only 5 km/h. The energy is pumping at 2108, and the water is a pleasant 59°F, which is about average for this time of year. That morning session is going to be magic – clean, powerful, and lined up. A bit too big for beginners, but for the experienced surfer, this is the pick of the bunch. Thursday afternoon stays solid at 7ft with cross-off wind.
Friday the 17th turns ugly with a cross-on breeze and a drop in quality, so skip that. Saturday morning the 18th offers a smaller 3ft S swell with clean offshore wind, but it’s a weaker energy (540), so a nice little novelty wave if you’re desperate. The next real gem comes Sunday morning, the 19th of July – 8ft SW swell with a 12-second period, cross-off wind, and excellent conditions. That’s a solid expert session. Then Monday morning, the 20th, is glassy with a 7ft SW swell, 11-second period. That’s clean, powerful, and a joy to paddle out into.
Now, for the second week, things get huge. From Tuesday the 21st of July all the way through the end of the forecast, the swell is consistently over 12ft and often hits 13ft or more, with energy readings in the thousands (8300+). The wind is often offshore or glassy, so the conditions will be clean, but this is massive, dangerous surf. Onrus is a reef break, and with a 13ft SW swell at 16 seconds, it’s going to be a foaming, heavy beast. Only for the most experienced, big-wave chargers. The standout in this big window is perhaps Saturday the 25th of July – a 13ft WSW swell, 15-second period, and glassy conditions. That’s a proper, serious, clean swell with insane energy (7646). But it’s not a beginner’s game. The rest of the week stays huge, with 12ft to 15ft swell and occasional cross-onshore winds that will make it messy on top of the size. For the average surfer, this is a watch-from-the-cliff week.
Overall, the best on offer is Thursday morning, the 16th of July, with that 8ft glassy swell, followed closely by Sunday morning, the 19th. For the big-wave crew, keep an eye on Saturday the 25th.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
96 | 108 | 745 | 2028 | 3195 | 2108 | 1471 | 1422 | 880 | 599 | 235 | 227 | 666 | 1522 | 1447 | 1214 | 952 | 1046 | 928 | 4153 | 8314 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:29PM1.60m | 3:44AM1.61m | 4:14PM1.66m | 4:29AM1.59m | 4:57PM1.67m | 5:12AM1.52m | 5:38PM1.64m | 5:54AM1.43m | 6:19PM1.56m | 6:36AM1.32m | 7:00PM1.46m | 7:20AM1.21m | 7:44PM1.34m | 8:10AM1.10m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:40PM0.12m | 10:01AM0.01m | 10:27PM0.10m | 10:42AM0.02m | 11:12PM0.12m | 11:22AM0.08m | 11:56PM0.18m | 12:01PM0.17m | 00:40AM0.26m | 12:39PM0.28m | 1:24AM0.36m | 1:19PM0.41m | 2:12AM0.46m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | |
5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | 5:53 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 10 | S 11 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 |
96 | 83 | 745 | 2028 | 3195 | 2108 | 1471 | 1422 | 880 | 599 | 235 | 227 | 666 | 1522 | 1447 | 1214 | 952 | 1046 | 928 | 4153 | 8314 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 11 | SW 10 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | S 14 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | SE 12 | W 9 | SE 11 |
39 | 108 | 258 | 269 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 132 | 92 | 146 | 83 | 34 | 38 | 68 | 65 | 6 | 25 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | E 11 | S 12 | SW 14 | WSW 9 | E 6 | — | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | — | — | — |
37 | 51 | 57 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 74 | 221 | 64 | 3 | — | 19 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | W 4 | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | NW 4 |
15 | 12 | 169 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | 17 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 10 | 31 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Overberg | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Onrus Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Onrus provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Onrus can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Onrus 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 (Onrus) 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 Onrus 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.
Onrus is 6 km (4 miles) from Hermanus. If you plan a holiday in Overberg, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hermanus. Hermanus has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











