
Surf Forecasts:
Onrus surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 3,504 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Sep 15) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Onrus in the next 16 days are 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Onrus over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.
The start of the period is looking pretty good, but don’t get too comfortable, because a whole lot of windy, onshore slop is about to shut things down for a solid week and a half. The only real window to get wet is the first couple of days, so you’ll want to be on it.
Monday afternoon (14th) is the pick of the entire forecast. We’re looking at clean 3ft swell from the SW at Onrus, a solid reef break that handles this direction well. The wind is a moderate offshore breeze from the NW, which is going to groom the surface beautifully – think clean lines and minimal chop. The swell period is a nice, chunky 12 seconds, giving the waves some real grunt for a 3ft wave. Combined energy is moderate (444), and the water is sitting at 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for the time of year, so you’ll want the thicker steamer.
Tuesday morning (15th) will be a different story. The swell jumps up to 6ft from the WNW, but the period drops to just 6 seconds, so it’s going to be weak and disorganised. Wind is howling offshore at 25 mph – it’ll be clean, but it’ll be an absolute battle just to get out, let alone catch anything. Not really worth the fight.
Tuesday afternoon (15th) is interesting. A solid 4ft SW groundswell rolls in with a very long 16-second period. That’s the kind of energy that will wrap into Onrus nicely. But again, that strong offshore breeze (28 mph) is going to make paddling out a mission. The combined energy is very strong (1395), but it’s one for the experts only in those winds.
From Wednesday (16th) right through until the end of the month, it’s pretty grim. The wind swings onshore and stays there, day after day. We get some solid-sized swell in the middle of the window – 8ft on Thursday morning (17th) – but it’s all blown out with strong onshore winds. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The conditions just aren’t there.
There’s a brief glimmer of hope right at the end. Tuesday morning (29th September) is glassy – absolute dead calm, 3 mph wind from the SE, and a 4ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period. The combined energy is moderate (651), and with the water still glassy, this could be the best surf of the entire second half of the forecast. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but if it holds, that’s your window.
Honestly, get out there on Monday afternoon, and maybe keep the 29th marked on the calendar. The rest is a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NW on Tue afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the E by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 9 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
192 | 719 | 3504 | 654 | 1306 | 2000 | 1524 | 1355 | 1045 | 640 | 1053 | 812 | 448 | 389 | 852 | 1307 | 1849 | 1192 | 647 | 594 | 431 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:29PM1.45m | 5:48AM1.29m | 5:59PM1.31m | 6:20AM1.17m | 6:32PM1.17m | 7:03AM1.04m | 7:21PM1.04m | 8:35AM0.94m | 9:27PM0.96m | 11:23AM0.98m | 11:40PM1.02m | 12:29PM1.10m | 00:36AM1.13m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:18AM0.28m | 11:43PM0.30m | 11:46AM0.40m | 00:13AM0.43m | 12:16PM0.52m | 00:49AM0.55m | 12:56PM0.65m | 1:53AM0.67m | 2:37PM0.76m | 4:44AM0.69m | 5:48PM0.72m | 6:14AM0.59m | 6:45PM0.59m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 9 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
116 | 719 | 3504 | 654 | 1306 | 2000 | 1524 | 1355 | 1045 | 640 | 1053 | 812 | 448 | 389 | 852 | 1307 | 1849 | 1192 | 647 | 594 | 431 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SE 13 | WNW 8 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | W 13 | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | — | ESE 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | WSW 13 |
192 | 7 | 165 | 648 | 480 | 408 | — | — | — | 293 | — | 40 | 245 | 248 | 56 | 4 | — | 42 | 4 | 2 | 35 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | S 9 | ESE 11 | SW 14 | E 11 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 |
7 | 2 | 42 | 596 | 9 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | — | — | S 7 | — | E 10 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | S 5 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 3 | SE 4 | — |
190 | 686 | — | — | 103 | — | 8 | 110 | 111 | 60 | 96 | 59 | 73 | 59 | 43 | 43 | 251 | 149 | 5 | 40 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 155 | 103 | 206 | 272 | 245 | 40 | 247 | 335 | 38 | 101 | 1373 | 95 | 220 | 335 | 389 | 245 | 802 | 4 | 4 |
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.










