Surf Forecasts:
Strand (Pipe) surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, WSW swell with 2,960 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 24) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Strand (Pipe) in the next 16 days are 3.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Strand (Pipe) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, mate. Rusty here with the outlook for Strand (Pipe). It’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, so let’s get into it.
The first real session to look at kicks off Monday, the 24th. We’ve got a clean 4ft SW swell rolling in with an 11-second period. The water is sitting at 58°, which is about a degree under the usual for this time of year – feels a little nippy on the skin. The combined swell energy is solid moderate (450), and with a gentle cross-off wind, it’s going to be pretty tidy out there. Not a massive standout, but a decent start.
Tuesday the 25th sees the swell build to 5ft SW, but the period jumps to a very long 15 seconds. The energy is strong (1260). This groundswell will have some punch, but at a beach-and-reef setup like Strand, those long lines can sometimes straighten out. The wind stays cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but the quality might be a little tricky to line up. Still worth a paddle.
The true standout of the forecast comes on Wednesday the 26th. The swell drops slightly to 5ft, shifting to a shorter period SSE windswell (7 sec), but the wind turns offshore from the east at a nice 12 mph. This makes for a moderate offshore and clean face. The combined energy is still lively (689). This is your pick – a morning session with glassy conditions will have the best shape on offer.
Thursday the 27th turns messy. The wind swings cross-shore, and the surf drops to 4ft with poor conditions. Friday the 28th brings a glassy morning though, with clean 3ft S swell (11 sec). It’s small, but the calm air makes for a fun little session.
We hit a dry spell from Saturday the 29th through Sunday the 6th of September. A few pulses of bigger swell roll through, like 7ft on Sunday the 30th, but the wind is always average. By Wednesday the 2nd of September, a huge 21ft WSW swell hits with a screaming onshore wind – the combined energy is enormous (22214), but this is pure chaos and far too big for this break. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing in that kind of wind.
The swell eventually drops back down by the 8th of September. Monday the 7th has clean 3ft SW swell, but the wind is a strong 25 mph offshore – clean as a whistle, but hard work to paddle into. Tuesday the 8th eases off with a light breeze and clean 3ft to 3ft SW swell. A chilled way to finish the window.
Overall, the standout is Wednesday, August 26th for the best combination of clean offshore wind and rideable swell. If you want a bit more size, Tuesday the 25th has the long-period energy, but the quality is less certain.
Stay salty.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSE 7 | S 16 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
325 | 297 | 1016 | 1034 | 676 | 543 | 250 | 248 | 260 | 363 | 426 | 344 | 229 | 178 | 136 | 134 | 236 | 215 | 593 | 1088 | 986 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:38PM1.20m | 1:41AM1.25m | 2:09PM1.32m | 2:14AM1.35m | 2:37PM1.44m | 2:44AM1.43m | 3:05PM1.53m | 3:14AM1.49m | 3:33PM1.61m | 3:44AM1.52m | 4:01PM1.65m | 4:15AM1.52m | 4:31PM1.65m | 4:47AM1.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:46PM0.46m | 8:00AM0.31m | 8:17PM0.35m | 8:28AM0.21m | 8:47PM0.25m | 8:55AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.17m | 9:22AM0.09m | 9:44PM0.11m | 9:49AM0.06m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.07m | 10:44PM0.08m | ||||||||
7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | |
— | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 17 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 23 | 28 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | SW 15 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
325 | 297 | 1016 | 1034 | 676 | 543 | 172 | 161 | 260 | 363 | 426 | 344 | 229 | 178 | 130 | 134 | 236 | 211 | 205 | 1088 | 986 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 12 | S 16 | SE 8 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | WSW 11 | SW 16 | SSE 4 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | S 11 | SW 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 |
125 | 180 | 121 | 226 | 123 | 47 | 140 | 245 | 109 | 53 | 11 | 23 | 64 | 12 | 136 | 109 | 85 | 215 | 11 | 10 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 15 | — | — | — | SSW 16 | S 16 | SW 12 | S 15 | S 15 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SSE 13 | SW 17 | — | SSE 10 | — | SE 13 | — |
— | 280 | — | — | — | 51 | 127 | 120 | 110 | 39 | 183 | 35 | 28 | 95 | 35 | 70 | — | 35 | — | 7 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | SE 3 | SE 5 | N 3 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | NNW 3 | SW 11 | — | — |
5 | 21 | 29 | 52 | 125 | 67 | 250 | 248 | 497 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 44 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 593 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 44 | 0 | 6 | 364 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 382 | 46 |
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.











