
Surf Forecasts:
Onrus surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 3,460 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period with SW 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Onrus in the next 16 days are 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 10s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Onrus over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's look at this Onrus forecast for the next couple of weeks. It's a reef break, intermediate level, exposed to the southwest, but it's inconsistent, so patience is key. Crowds can roll through sometimes.
Water temp is about 15°, which is nearly 2° colder than the normal for this time of year. That's a noticeable chill.
This starts on Saturday, the 12th, and is basically a no-go through to Monday morning the 14th. There's a big south-west groundswell with a mighty energy rating (1774), but the south-east wind is screaming at 15 mph, blowing right across the swell, turning it into a choppy, lumpy mess. Not worth a look.
Monday the 14th is the first flicker of life. The wind switches to the northwest, going offshore. The swell drops to a marginal 4ft, with a 12-second period. The energy is moderate (481). The size is tiny, the wind is fresh, and it's a reef. You might snag a couple of clean little ones, but it's not worth the drive. Tuesday the 15th is a tricky one. The wind is offshore again, strong at 25 mph. The morning swell is 6ft, but the period is a short, chunky 6 seconds (612 energy). That's windswell and will be bumpy. The afternoon brings a 5ft groundswell with a long 16-second period (1598 energy). That kind of long-period swell on a reef at that size is expert territory. The strong offshore wind will make take-offs extremely critical. If you're not a solid intermediate, sit this one out.
Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th are back to poor, onshore conditions with the south-easter returning and messing up a 6ft+ swell. This poor run continues through to the 19th.
Now, the big standout. Circle Sunday the 20th of September. The morning is perfection. The wind drops to almost nothing, described as glassy. The swell is a clean 5ft from the southwest with a 13-second period (710 energy). The energy is moderate. Getting glassy conditions on an exposed reef like Onrus with a solid, long-period swell is a total score. The water will be like a mirror. It will be a flawless, clean, paddable wave. For intermediates, this is your absolute window. The afternoon picks up a light cross-on breeze, so get on it early.
The next week stays mostly poor until Thursday the 24th. That morning looks very clean. A gentle west-north-west breeze, clean conditions, and a 5ft SW groundswell (1313 energy). The wind is cross-off, keeping the face clean. This is a solid, mellow option for experienced surfers.
Finally, the long-range gem. On Sunday the 27th, another big pulse is forecast. A 6ft to 7ft SW groundswell with a massive 18-second period (2277 to 2796 energy). That's a huge, powerful groundswell. The wind is light to gentle and cross-off. This is a recipe for a big, heavy, immaculate day. This one is strictly for the experts. The size is over 5ft, so beginners sit on the beach. The long period means the sets will be spaced, but very powerful. Over 8ft, it's expert-only, and the afternoon gets close to that. If you've got the skills, this could be the session of the month, but it's over a week away, so keep a close eye on the models.
Overall, the first week is mostly garbage. The absolute best bets are that glassy Sunday morning on the 20th for everyone, and that big, clean Sunday on the 27th for the pros.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sat night, light winds from the NNW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Tue afternoon, light winds from the E by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WNW 6 | SW 16 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1638 | 3096 | 2229 | 1355 | 961 | 600 | 374 | 268 | 183 | 290 | 1109 | 3430 | 1735 | 1207 | 940 | 840 | 765 | 897 | 760 | 1568 | 1919 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | off | off | off | off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:59PM1.73m | 4:17AM1.56m | 4:30PM1.67m | 4:48AM1.49m | 4:59PM1.58m | 5:18AM1.40m | 5:29PM1.45m | 5:48AM1.29m | 5:59PM1.31m | 6:20AM1.17m | 6:32PM1.17m | 7:03AM1.04m | 7:21PM1.04m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:49AM0.04m | 10:16PM0.03m | 10:20AM0.09m | 10:46PM0.09m | 10:49AM0.17m | 11:15PM0.19m | 11:18AM0.28m | 11:43PM0.30m | 11:46AM0.40m | 00:13AM0.43m | 12:16PM0.52m | 00:49AM0.55m | 12:56PM0.65m | 1:53AM0.67m | |||||||
6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | |
mm | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
1638 | 3096 | 2229 | 1355 | 961 | 600 | 374 | 268 | 183 | 119 | 1109 | 3430 | 1735 | 1207 | 940 | 840 | 765 | 897 | 760 | 1568 | 1919 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | — | — | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 13 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SW 15 | SE 13 | ESE 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | — | SW 15 | — | ESE 10 |
49 | — | — | 88 | 110 | 161 | 80 | 44 | 26 | 82 | 7 | 43 | 570 | 577 | 304 | 73 | 104 | — | 472 | — | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 13 | — | SW 17 | SW 18 | S 9 | — | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | 11 | 121 | 2 | — | 25 | 23 | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 7 | — | — | — | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | SE 4 | E 9 | SSE 4 | ESE 9 |
87 | 106 | 245 | 114 | 106 | — | 69 | 135 | 96 | 290 | 480 | — | — | — | 127 | 92 | 76 | 39 | 43 | 18 | 28 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 272 | 45 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 155 | 0 | 199 | 275 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 220 | 247 | 4 | 220 | 302 | 10 |
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.










