
Surf Forecasts:
Strand (Pipe) surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 3,116 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 3s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Strand (Pipe) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it's Rusty here. Let's get into it for Strand.
Straight up, we've got a bit of a mixed bag for the next 16 days. The good news? There's swell on the cards. The frustrating bit? The wind and conditions often don't play ball, making it a game of picking the right window. It's not a total write-off, but you'll need to be patient.
The first decent chance you get is on Thursday, 10 September. Stand (Pipe) will see a SW swell building to 5ft with a solid 15-second period, giving it real grunt. The combined energy is moderate at 131 on Wednesday morning, but by Thursday it jumps to strong levels. The wind is cross-shore, which keeps it rideable but not perfect. This is probably best left for the crew who know the break well, as the size starts to push it beyond beginner territory.
Now, Friday, 11 September is where things get interesting. After a morning of clean, waist-high 3ft SW swell, the afternoon flips the script. A quick spike of 6ft SSE windswell rolls in with a short, punchy 7-second period. The wind swings offshore, and the wave comment says "expect good surf conditions." For a beach break, that short period might make it a bit sectiony, but an offshore wind at Strand is a rare treat, so get on it.
Saturday, 13 September is your standout. Sunday morning kicks off with offshore winds and a clean 4ft SSW groundswell (14-second period). But the real magic is Sunday afternoon: glassy conditions with 4ft SSW swell. The energy is strong (669), the wind is glass, and the wave comment is "expect very good surf conditions." If you can only paddle out once this week, make it this session.
We then hit a rough patch from Monday, 15 September through Tuesday, 16 September. Strong, messy cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions mean the surf quality is poor. There's size—up to 5ft on Tuesday afternoon—but it's just blown out. Better to give it a miss. The water temp is a notable 56°, which is 4° colder than usual for this time of year, so a good 4/3 wetsuit is non-negotiable.
Things clean up again mid-week. Wednesday, 17 September and Thursday, 18 September offer clean, cross-offshore conditions with some decent SW swell in the 5ft to 6ft range. The energy is strong (1642 on Wednesday morning). This is solid, punchy surf for the confident intermediate.
Looking into the second week, Friday, 19 September is a real tease. Glassy conditions with a clean, long-period 3ft SW swell (12 seconds) in the morning. That’s a session for the logs or a fish. The following days have a few windows of clean, offshore wind and small swell in the 3ft range, particularly Monday, 22 September and Tuesday, 23 September, which would be fun on a longboard.
We wrap up with Thursday, 24 September offering a final spike of size—8ft of short-period S swell. With a light cross-onshore, it'll be bumpy and not the best quality, more suited to the experts looking for a challenge.
Best on offer: No question, it's Sunday, 13 September afternoon. Glassy, clean, and a beautiful 4ft SSW groundswell. See you in the water.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the NNW by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
109 | 106 | 214 | 924 | 647 | 418 | 277 | 288 | 277 | 657 | 1932 | 1102 | 617 | 479 | 295 | 154 | 112 | 112 | 658 | 1255 | 3116 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:16PM1.58m | 2:33AM1.53m | 2:52PM1.68m | 3:10AM1.57m | 3:26PM1.72m | 3:44AM1.57m | 3:58PM1.71m | 4:16AM1.53m | 4:29PM1.64m | 4:47AM1.46m | 4:58PM1.55m | 5:17AM1.37m | 5:28PM1.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.08m | 10:48AM0.16m | 11:14PM0.17m | 11:17AM0.27m | 11:43PM0.29m | |||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 15 |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 8 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 21 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
109 | 106 | 214 | 924 | 647 | 418 | 277 | 193 | 106 | 657 | 1932 | 1102 | 617 | 479 | 147 | 154 | 112 | 112 | 658 | 1255 | 3116 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSW 17 | SE 9 | — | SW 6 | — | — | SSW 15 | S 9 | — | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 11 | SSW 13 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SW 11 | SW 11 | — |
15 | 5 | 193 | 3 | — | 8 | — | — | 84 | 76 | — | 329 | 121 | 12 | 295 | 27 | 22 | 3 | 103 | 61 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | SSW 20 | — | — | SE 8 | SE 11 | SSE 12 | SE 8 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | WSW 8 | SE 12 | — |
7 | 9 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 298 | — | — | 88 | 60 | 27 | 25 | 14 | 6 | 23 | 36 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | S 3 | SSE 3 | — | — | SSE 3 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | — | S 8 | — | N 3 | NW 5 | NW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | — |
2 | 5 | 4 | — | — | 10 | 249 | 288 | 277 | 200 | 475 | 773 | — | 118 | — | 4 | 62 | 43 | 108 | 153 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 46 | 0 | 6 | 46 | 41 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 379 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 37 | 16 | 144 | 189 | 46 |
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.










