
Surf Forecasts:
The Wedge surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 21 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 3,582 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 21 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Wedge this week:
The surf forecast for The Wedge over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Wedge in the next 16 days are 3.0m 14s 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 2.2m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Wedge over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Morning crew, Rusty here.
Let's be straight with you—the next couple of weeks at The Wedge are looking pretty locked up and grumpy. This is a breakwater spot that's very sheltered, so it needs everything to line up just right, and for the most part, the ocean’s just not playing ball.
We’ve got a solid gap of poor conditions right through the first stretch. From Monday the 14th all the way through to Saturday the 26th, it’s a real mixed bag of onshore and cross-onshore winds, messy chop, and a lot of "poor surf conditions" flags. The swell’s there at times, but the wind’s wrecking it. Tuesday the 15th sees the energy jump to moderate (537) but it’s lumpy and cross-onshore. Wednesday the 16th actually brings some size—8ft from the SW with a 13-second period (combined energy of 4010, strong). But the cross-off wind is fresh at 35 km/h and the call is still marginal. That’s a lot of power but it’s not going to be clean. To be honest, that size at this sheltered break, with that wind, is more of a washing machine than a surfable wave. And if we're talking about who should be out there—anything over 5ft is pushing it for beginners, and this is way past that. Then Friday the 25th throws a curveball with a brief NW windswell at 8ft but only a 7-second period—that’s short, weak period, and the wind flips cross-on. It’s steep and messy. Not worth paddling out for.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real glimmer of hope comes after that long stretch of nothing. We’re looking at Sunday the 27th of September. The early call shows the wind finally easing off to a light 10 km/h breeze, cross-off out of the SE, and the water goes glassy. Swell drops to a clean 6ft from the southwest, giving a combined energy of 1197. That’s moderate, but it’s lined up and clean. That’s the standout window. It’s not huge, but the combination of a light offshore breeze and a solid SW groundswell at a 13-second period will make The Wedge start to actually work. Expect good surf conditions—that’s the phrase we’ve been waiting for.
Monday the 28th follows up nicely too. The swell backs off slightly to 5ft, but the wind is still light out of the ESE at 10 km/h, keeping it clean and cross-off. Combined energy dips to 1051, still moderate, and it should be a fun, user-friendly day.
One thing I have to mention—this spot is very sheltered, but the water temperature on Monday the 14th was sitting at 56°F, which is a whopping 5°F colder than normal for this time of year. That’s a serious chill, so if you’re heading out on the 27th or 28th when conditions turn on, you’re going to want the thickest wetsuit, boots, gloves, the whole kit. That’s not a normal September water temp.
Also, note that things fade out again after that. Tuesday the 29th shows a drop in energy to around 392-516, and while the wind goes totally glassy (0 km/h in the morning and a slight 5 km/h in the afternoon), the swell is only 4ft from the SW with a 12-second period. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The tide and the lack of push will make it mushy.
So, the bottom line: Don’t waste your time this week. The standouts are Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th of September. That’s when the stars align—clean, glassy, cross-off winds with a solid 6ft SW groundswell. It’s going to be worth the wait. For the rest of it, save your energy.
Remember, when it’s 8ft plus with a strong cross-off, this breakwater setup is better suited to a kite than a paddle board. And with that cold water, you’re gonna feel it.
Stay patient, stay warm.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Thu morning). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | NW 7 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
423 | 268 | 311 | 192 | 1001 | 3582 | 2494 | 1155 | 1730 | 1358 | 1058 | 626 | 579 | 892 | 946 | 785 | 455 | 613 | 919 | 816 | 525 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:08PM1.74m | 5:25AM1.58m | 5:38PM1.62m | 5:57AM1.48m | 6:09PM1.50m | 6:32AM1.36m | 6:43PM1.36m | 7:19AM1.25m | 7:33PM1.24m | 8:50AM1.17m | 9:28PM1.15m | 11:21AM1.20m | 11:45PM1.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:52AM0.38m | 11:17PM0.41m | 11:21AM0.48m | 11:46PM0.52m | 11:50AM0.60m | 00:18AM0.63m | 12:24PM0.73m | 00:57AM0.74m | 1:11PM0.85m | 2:06AM0.84m | 3:12PM0.95m | 4:29AM0.87m | 5:44PM0.89m | ||||||||
6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 6:36 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:38 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 |
423 | 268 | 250 | 168 | 1001 | 3582 | 2494 | 1155 | 1730 | 1358 | 1058 | 626 | 579 | 892 | 946 | 785 | 455 | 613 | 919 | 816 | 525 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 8 | ESE 11 | SW 18 | SE 13 | NW 7 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | W 12 | W 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | — | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 18 | — | ESE 12 | WSW 15 |
90 | 2 | 11 | 192 | 7 | 143 | 837 | 1011 | 383 | 144 | 265 | 70 | — | — | 40 | 350 | 251 | 31 | — | 15 | 275 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 18 |
— | 6 | 7 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | SW 9 | SSE 5 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 |
72 | 239 | 311 | 177 | 513 | — | 679 | 117 | 273 | 346 | 275 | 231 | 293 | 471 | 434 | 391 | 412 | 173 | 193 | 154 | 107 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 69 | 177 | 78 | 185 | 228 | 4 | 338 | 176 | 46 | 142 | 399 | 399 | 1240 | 1227 | 1168 | 8 | 399 | 176 | 454 | 597 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Wedge Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Wedge provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Wedge can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Wedge 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 (The Wedge) 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 The Wedge 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Cape Town? If you are looking for accommodation near The Wedge, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cape Town, consider staying in Cape Town which is 2 km (1 miles) away. Other places in and around Cape Town where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Robben Island which is 15 km (9 miles) away, Bellville, Kayamnandi and Stellenbosch.










