
Surf Forecasts:
Strand (Pipe) surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 20s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 19s period, SSW swell with 2,121 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 20s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Strand (Pipe) this week:
The surf forecast for Strand (Pipe) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 20s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 1.7m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Strand (Pipe) in the next 16 days are 1.7m 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 20s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 20s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Strand (Pipe) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
We’ve got a solid run of swell hitting Strand (Pipe) over the next couple of weeks. The pattern kicks off with a really strong pulse of long-period groundswell, and there’s a lot of good juice in the water for the experienced crew. The wave energy is massive early on, with a combined energy reading of 2091, and it stays strong through the first week. Water temp is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Sunday, September 6th is the standout. The morning has a clean 5.6 ft swell from the SSW with a very long 18-second period, and a light offshore breeze out of the east at 12 mph. The combined energy is pumping at 2091. This is proper groundswell, and at a beach-and-reef setup like this, the long period will mean some wedgy, powerful lines. It’s glassy offshore, clean as a whistle. This is for intermediate to advanced surfers only – that 5.6 ft with that period will pack a punch. The afternoon holds at 4.6 ft with a 16-second period, still clean and offshore, just a notch down in power.
Monday, September 7th drops off a bit. The swell is still 4.6 ft but the period drops to 14 seconds, and the wind goes cross-onshore in the morning and cross-shore in the afternoon. It’s rideable, but the quality is compromised. Not the day to get excited about.
Tuesday, September 8th sees a big drop. Swell down to 2.6 ft in the morning, but the wind goes glassy – that’s dead calm. It’s a tiny clean wave, really only for longboards or a fun log. The wave energy is low at 245. Not a standout.
Wednesday, September 9th is poor. Swell is tiny at 2.0 ft, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore. Not worth paddling out.
Thursday, September 10th is the second real standout. The morning serves up a clean 5.2 ft swell from the SW with a 15-second period, and a gentle offshore breeze from the east at 9 mph. The combined energy is 1216, so there’s real grunt. This is another excellent window for experienced surfers. Clean, gentle offshore, and solid groundswell.
Friday, September 11th is mixed. The morning is smaller at 3.6 ft and clean, but the afternoon sees a jump to 9.8 ft from the SSE. That’s a big wall of water, but the period drops to 8 seconds – that’s short-period wind swell. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but that 9.8 ft is only for experts. The wave energy is 1163. It’s big and burly, not a beginner wave.
Saturday, September 12th holds at 5.2 ft to 5.6 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-offshore. It’s clean, but not the glassy perfection of the earlier days. The energy is 1516 to 1972, so plenty of power. Good for competent surfers, not the top pick though.
Sunday, September 13th has a morning pulse of 13.1 ft from the SW, but with a short 10-second period. That’s a mountainous, heavy, crumbly mess. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore, but at that size, it’s a beast. Only for the most experienced. The combined energy is 4795, which is extreme. The afternoon drops to 5.9 ft, still messy.
Monday, September 14th is a rest day. Swell around 3.0 ft to 3.6 ft, onshore wind. Not much happening.
Tuesday, September 15th is a write-off. Strong cross-onshore winds at 19-25 mph, swell at 6.2 ft to 7.2 ft, but it’s lumpy and messy. The wave energy is 1885 to 3018, but the wind kills it. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Wednesday, September 16th is also poor. Rain showers, onshore wind, 7.9 ft to 8.2 ft swell. It’s a washing machine.
Thursday, September 17th is a bright spot. The
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1880 | 969 | 711 | 754 | 569 | 387 | 146 | 96 | 74 | 109 | 108 | 546 | 1339 | 1220 | 747 | 418 | 319 | 325 | 616 | 1816 | 1191 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 11:39AM1.12m | 00:05AM1.21m | 12:47PM1.28m | 1:06AM1.34m | 1:36PM1.45m | 1:53AM1.45m | 2:16PM1.58m | 2:33AM1.53m | 2:52PM1.68m | 3:10AM1.57m | 3:26PM1.72m | 3:44AM1.57m | 3:58PM1.71m | 4:16AM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:55PM0.51m | 6:33AM0.36m | 7:03PM0.35m | 7:24AM0.23m | 7:51PM0.20m | 8:05AM0.12m | 8:32PM0.09m | 8:42AM0.05m | 9:09PM0.01m | 9:16AM0.01m | 9:43PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | ||||||||
6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 19 | 24 | 20 | 25 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 22 | 18 | 24 | 28 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
1880 | 969 | 711 | 754 | 569 | 387 | 146 | 70 | 56 | 109 | 108 | 546 | 1339 | 1220 | 747 | 418 | 272 | 268 | 456 | 1816 | 1191 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 12 | SE 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | — | SW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 18 | — | SSE 7 |
— | 11 | 40 | 13 | 3 | 12 | 89 | 96 | 74 | 22 | 5 | 8 | — | 223 | 118 | 78 | 121 | 118 | 616 | — | 54 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SE 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 9 | W 11 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 74 | 10 | 38 | 28 | 21 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | S 3 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — |
171 | 136 | 229 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 23 | 34 | 113 | 545 | 309 | 319 | 325 | 156 | 91 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 363 | 262 | 50 | 364 | 41 | 0 | 68 | 44 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Strand (Pipe) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Strand (Pipe) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Strand (Pipe) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Strand (Pipe) 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 (Strand (Pipe)) 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 Strand (Pipe) 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.
Strand (Pipe) is 18 km (11 miles) from the city of Grabouw. If you plan a holiday in Cape Town, look for hotels and other accommodation in Grabouw. Grabouw has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










