Surf Forecasts:
Strand (Pipe) surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,858 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Strand (Pipe) in the next 16 days are 2.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 9s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Strand (Pipe) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Strand (Pipe) over the next couple of weeks.
There’s a bit of a slow start, but things get real interesting for a window around Tuesday the 1st of September and again early the following week. The standout of the whole period is gonna be Tuesday morning, 1st of September. We’re looking at a solid 6ft groundswell from the SSW, with a long 14-second period pushing a heap of energy through – combined energy is a strong 1291. And the wind? Glassy. Absolutely glassy. That’s the kind of morning where you paddle out and the line-up looks like a mirror. Conditions will be excellent for experienced surfers. The water’s a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting around 58°F, so a good wetsuit is your friend.
That same swell drops a fraction into Tuesday afternoon, coming in at 7ft from the SSW, but the wind swings cross-on, so it’ll get a bit of a bump on it. Wednesday’s still pumping with 6ft SSW swell, but the cross-shore wind will put a little crinkle on the face.
Now, if you’re looking at the end of the week, Thursday the 3rd brings a drop in period to 9 seconds and the swell gets a bit raw from the SSE. A solid 8ft on Thursday afternoon but with a fresh cross-off breeze, it’ll be clean but very powerful. That’s expert-only territory at that size and period combination. Friday stays big at 8ft from the SSE, but by the afternoon the wind is howling at 28 mph, so that’s a write-off for a paddle board – might be more of a kite day.
There’s a real nice little window on the morning of Saturday the 5th. The swell drops to 5ft from the SE, and we get a proper offshore wind from the ESE at 12 mph. That’s gonna groom things up nicely. The combined wave energy here is moderate at 268, so it’s not a beast, but it’ll be clean and fun.
Then we get another absolute beauty on Sunday the 6th of September, first thing. A long-period 16-second groundswell from the SSW at 4ft, and the combined energy is a whopping 1124. That’s a very long period, and at a beach-and-reef set-up like this, those long lines might stand up and throw a bit. It’ll be offshore and clean, again for the experienced crew.
After that, the surf tapers down. The week starting the 8th looks small and weak, with most days below 3ft and not a lot of energy. There’s a minor pulse around the 11th and 12th of September, with a 5ft SE swell on Saturday morning and a clean offshore wind, which could be worth a look for a quiet session if you’re keen.
Overall, you’ve got two top-shelf windows: Tuesday the 1st and Sunday the 6th are the mornings to circle. The middle week is big and gusty, and the second week is small and inconsistent, but hey, it never stays flat here for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Fri afternoon, moderate winds from the ESE by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
354 | 683 | 1291 | 1722 | 1814 | 1280 | 1182 | 791 | 471 | 1047 | 1020 | 907 | 753 | 305 | 181 | 302 | 427 | 635 | 314 | 184 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 5:02PM1.62m | 5:21AM1.43m | 5:37PM1.54m | 6:00AM1.33m | 6:17PM1.43m | 6:46AM1.21m | 7:09PM1.29m | 7:53AM1.09m | 8:29PM1.16m | 9:45AM1.04m | 10:28PM1.13m | 11:39AM1.12m | 00:05AM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:18PM0.12m | 11:21AM0.18m | 11:54PM0.19m | 11:58AM0.28m | 00:38AM0.30m | 12:45PM0.40m | 1:37AM0.43m | 1:53PM0.54m | 3:13AM0.52m | 3:57PM0.60m | 5:15AM0.49m | 5:55PM0.51m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 13 | 18 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | S 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SE 8 |
354 | 683 | 1291 | 1722 | 1814 | 1280 | 1182 | 791 | 159 | 142 | 63 | 242 | 173 | 31 | 77 | 74 | 427 | 635 | 314 | 184 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | SSW 10 | W 12 | — | SSW 9 | — | SW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 220 | 290 | 11 | — | 116 | — | 16 | 10 | 9 | 69 | 313 | 146 | 145 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | SSW 13 | — | SSW 20 | SSW 21 | — | S 12 | WSW 14 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 57 | — | 37 | 86 | — | 3 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | E 3 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 471 | 1047 | 1020 | 907 | 753 | 305 | 181 | 302 | 200 | 176 | 143 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 155 | 872 | 207 | 1484 | 3845 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











