
Surf Forecasts:
Onrus surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 8,030 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Onrus in the next 16 days are 4.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore 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 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Onrus over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s lining up for our local stretch.
We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next couple of weeks: Onrus. It’s a reef break that’s exposed to the SW, and it’s inconsistent, so we’re not talking about a place that’s always pumping. But when it lines up, it can be a gem.
First up, Tuesday morning, July 21st. The water is sitting at 60°F, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing weird going on there. We’ve got a solid 8ft SW groundswell, period a nice and chunky 14 seconds, and the wind is a glassy, light N breeze at 3 mph. The combined energy is massive at 2325, that’s a proper amount of power. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The direction is perfect for the reef, and with that glassy wind, it’ll be clean as a whistle. This is the standout of the whole run – get on it if you can handle it.
The afternoon brings a bit of a shift. The swell bumps up to 8ft, but the wind swings S at 3 mph, putting a cross-on chop on the face. It’s still a big swell (2289 energy), but the quality drops. Not the session to chase.
Wednesday, July 22nd, the swell backs off a touch to 7ft from the SW, period still a solid 12 seconds. The wind is cross-off from the WNW, 9 mph in the morning and 16 mph in the afternoon. The energy is still moderate (1286 and 1319). It’s clean, but the wind is a bit stiff. A decent option if you’re desperate, but not the best of the week.
Now, Thursday morning, July 23rd, is another one to circle. The swell is 8ft from the WSW, period 11 seconds, and we get a clean offshore breeze from the NW at 12 mph. The energy is strong at 1882. This is excellent for experienced surfers again. The wind is offshore, so the reef will be handling that size beautifully. This is the second best slot in the forecast.
Friday, July 24th, is a total beast. The swell jumps to a massive 12ft from the SW, with a very long 15-second period. The energy is an enormous 4763. The wind is light cross from the ENE at 6 mph. But here’s the thing – this is way too big for Onrus. It’s an expert-only zone, and even then, it’s predicted to be too big for the break itself. The swell is just going to be a washing machine. Kite surfers might have a field day, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go. The afternoon is similar with 10ft and 3813 energy.
Saturday, July 25th, sees the swell dropping to 8ft, but the wind is cross-on from the E/ESE, making it fairly choppy. Not great.
Sunday, July 26th, brings a bit of relief. The morning has a 7ft SW swell, 12-second period, with a light cross-off breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The energy is 1198. It’s clean and excellent for experienced surfers. A good, solid, cleaner option after the weekend chop.
The rest of the week goes downhill. Monday and Tuesday (July 27th-28th) are hammered by strong onshore winds, with big, messy swell. Not worth paddling out. Wednesday to Friday (July 29th-31st) is a mix of lumpy, cross-on, and onshore conditions. The swell is still there, but the wind is ruining it.
Looking into the second week, we get a good window on Saturday, August 1st. The afternoon is glassy again with a 7ft S swell, 10-second period, and 2408 energy. The wind is a light SSE at 3 mph, making it glassy. This is a promising session, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.
Sunday, August 2nd, is another good one. The morning has a smaller 4ft SSW swell, but the wind is offshore from the NW at 9 mph. The afternoon is better with a 5ft SSW swell and a clean offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (751 and 1033). It’s cleaner, but the swell is smaller. Good for a longboard or a fun shortboard session if you’re not chasing size.
After that, Monday, August 3rd, the wind howls from the NNW again, making it poor. The rest of the week into August 5th is small, onshore, and messy. A blank run for the end of the forecast.
Bottom line: Your best bet is Tuesday morning, July 21st, or Thursday morning, July 23rd. If you’re an experienced surfer, that’s your window. The rest is a mix of too big, too windy, or too small. Don’t sleep on that glassy Saturday afternoon on August 1st either, but it’s a long way out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2254 | 1497 | 1209 | 1112 | 843 | 1358 | 1427 | 7559 | 4234 | 3594 | 2158 | 1922 | 1525 | 1169 | 930 | 928 | 1335 | 1112 | 1811 | 2129 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:34PM1.23m | 9:16AM1.02m | 9:41PM1.14m | 10:45AM1.00m | 11:04PM1.11m | 12:12PM1.04m | 00:20AM1.14m | 1:12PM1.12m | 1:16AM1.21m | 1:55PM1.21m | 1:58AM1.29m | 2:31PM1.31m | 2:34AM1.36m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:05PM0.53m | 3:12AM0.54m | 3:08PM0.63m | 4:32AM0.59m | 4:43PM0.67m | 5:58AM0.57m | 6:16PM0.65m | 7:01AM0.50m | 7:17PM0.57m | 7:46AM0.42m | 8:01PM0.49m | 8:23AM0.33m | 8:37PM0.40m | |||||||
— | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | |
5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
2254 | 1497 | 1209 | 1112 | 843 | 1358 | 1427 | 7559 | 4234 | 3594 | 2158 | 1922 | 1525 | 1169 | 930 | 928 | 1335 | 1112 | 1811 | 2129 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 12 | SE 13 | SW 20 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 13 | — | S 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | S 8 |
21 | 13 | 72 | 111 | 141 | 7 | 746 | 37 | 35 | 34 | 19 | 663 | — | 103 | 107 | 214 | 181 | 581 | 323 | 493 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | — | SE 11 | SE 14 | SE 14 | S 23 | SE 12 | — | — | — | — | ESE 11 | — | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 11 | S 10 | — | WSW 12 | — |
14 | — | 5 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 38 | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | 4 | 4 | 35 | 8 | — | 29 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | — | — | SSE 5 | SE 5 | — | S 8 |
— | — | — | — | 10 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 10 | — | — | 40 | 51 | — | 816 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 32 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 10 | 25 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Overberg | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










