Strand (Pipe) Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.12° S 18.83° E

Strand (Pipe) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Strand (Pipe) sea temperature is
15.2° C
0.2° 

Strand (Pipe) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Strand (Pipe) surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 5,387 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Sun 19th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 11s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 23rd Jul)10ft (3.0m) 17s
Most Powerful 8PM (Thu 23rd Jul)10ft (3.0m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Strand (Pipe) over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Strand (Pipe). It’s a beach and reef setup, pretty exposed to the swell, and it’s firing from the SW – which is just what this spot likes to see.

The water is sitting at 59°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing freaky there.

Now, the first few days are a bit of a write-off, I won’t lie. We’ve got some small, messy pulses with cross-shore winds and a bit of chop. It’s not until Monday the 20th of July that we start to see a real glimmer. That morning, the wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a clean 4ft of SSW swell rolling in. The energy is moderate (297), and it’s a nice little window for a session if you’re desperate for a paddle.

But the real standout – and I mean the one you circle on the calendar – is the morning of Tuesday the 21st of July. We’ve got a solid 5ft of SSW groundswell, period bumping up to 14 seconds, and the wind is glassy. That’s a proper recipe for clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is strong (995), so there’s some push behind it. This is the best of the early week for sure.

The waves keep building through the week. Wednesday the 22nd gets a bit bigger, pushing 6ft, but the wind swings cross and cross-on, so it gets a bit lumpy. Thursday the 23rd morning cleans up nicely with a light cross-offshore breeze and 6ft of SSW swell (740 energy). That’s a good session, but the afternoon sees the swell jump to 8ft with a very long 17-second period, and the energy absolutely rockets to 3810. That’s powerful, groundswell energy. It’s going to be big and likely shutting down or just miles of wall at a point, but at a beach and reef like Strand, it could be a handful. That’s expert territory.

Friday the 24th of July is another cracker. The swell drops slightly to 7ft, still SSW, 14 seconds, and the wind is clean cross-offshore all day. Energy is still very strong at over 2000. This is excellent for experienced surfers – clean, powerful, and consistent.

Saturday the 25th of July morning keeps the good run going with offshore winds, 6ft of clean SSW swell, and strong energy (1151). The afternoon goes glassy again, smaller at 5ft, which is a lovely end to the week.

We hit a bit of a lull after that. The following week is mostly cross-shore breezes and chop, with the swell hanging around 4ft to 6ft but without the clean wind to make it worth the paddle. There’s a big pulse on Wednesday the 29th of July, with 10ft of WSW swell, but the wind is a strong cross-shore, so it’s going to be a mess. Not recommended.

The very end of the run, on Sunday the 2nd of August morning, shows a glassy morning with 3ft of SSW swell and a 16-second period. That’s a very long period for such a small wave – it might be clean and fun if you’ve got a longboard, but the energy is low (296), so it’s a light day.

To wrap it up: the best windows are Tuesday the 21st of July morning for the glassy, solid conditions, and the whole of Friday the 24th of July for the clean, powerful, expert-level surf. Don’t sleep on the glassy afternoons on the 25th either.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
0
1
3
2
1
2
3
3
2
1
0
1
3
4
5
4
4
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
S
11
0.7
SW
13
1.1
SW
12
1.1
SW
12
1.3
SW
9
1.6
SW
10
1.3
SSW
9
0.9
SSW
8
0.7
SSW
16
1.6
SSW
14
1.7
SSW
14
1.6
SW
13
1.8
SW
12
1.7
SW
12
1.6
SW
11
1.7
SSW
11
2.5
SSW
17
3
SSW
16
2.2
SSW
14
2.1
SSW
14
2.3
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
155
162
319
309
252
480
276
120
256
928
1048
841
925
778
579
724
3621
3913
2061
1797
2006
Wind (km/h)
15
NNW
10
NW
15
N
20
N
5
W
5
NE
5
NW
10
SW
5
E
5
WNW
10
SW
15
N
20
N
25
NW
15
N
10
SSE
5
SW
0
S
5
S
15
S
15
ESE
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
6:18PM1.54m
6:36AM1.30m
7:00PM1.44m
7:20AM1.18m
7:44PM1.32m
8:12AM1.08m
8:35PM1.21m
9:19AM1.01m
9:42PM1.12m
10:47AM0.98m
11:05PM1.09m
12:12PM1.02m
00:20AM1.12m
Low Tide
12:00PM0.16m
00:39AM0.25m
12:38PM0.27m
1:23AM0.34m
1:19PM0.39m
2:13AM0.44m
2:06PM0.51m
3:13AM0.52m
3:11PM0.61m
4:33AM0.56m
4:45PM0.65m
5:58AM0.54m
6:16PM0.62m
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:47
7:46
7:46
7:45
7:43
7:43
7:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:58
 mm
1
Temp °C
17
19
15
14
15
13
14
17
13
14
16
13
15
16
14
15
17
15
16
18
16
Feels °C
15
17
13
10
14
13
13
15
12
14
15
13
10
11
10
14
17
15
15
16
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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