
Surf Forecasts:
Tubes surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tubes this week:
The surf forecast for Tubes over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 12s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tubes in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 19) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tubes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s talk about Tubes.
The outlook for Tubes over the next 16 days has some real promise but also some rough patches to sit through. The water’s sitting at 61°, which is about 5° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s notably chilly, so grab an extra wetsuit if you’re heading out. The first real chance of decent waves doesn’t show until Tuesday the 15th, after a pretty flat and poor start.
Tuesday morning the 15th brings in a 3ft SW swell with a 12-second period and light cross-offshore winds. The combined swell energy is moderate (247). The conditions are clean, and while it’s not big, it’s rideable and a nice way to ease into the week. Tuesday afternoon goes a bit ordinary with light cross-shore bumps and a 3.5ft swell – not the best.
Wednesday the 16th is the standout for the near term. Morning sees a solid 11.5ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period and cross-offshore winds. Combined energy is very strong (4314). This is big, powerful, and clean – expert territory for sure. It stays good into the afternoon with a 10ft SW swell, still cross-off and clean (3186 combined energy). If you’re experienced and ready, this is your window. Keep in mind the 14-second period makes this more suited to a reef and point setup like Tubes itself – it’s sheltered and handles that long-period energy well.
Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th get messy. Swell drops but winds turn cross-on and strong, making for lumpy, choppy conditions. Not worth paddling out. Saturday the 19th is even worse with strong cross-onshore winds and messy surf.
Sunday the 20th flips the script. The morning offers excellent conditions for experienced surfers – an 8ft ESE swell with 11-second period, light cross-offshore winds, and very strong combined energy (2310). Clean and powerful. This is a solid option if you can handle the size. Sunday afternoon drops off with rain and strong winds making it marginal.
Monday the 21st is marginal but cleaner in the morning with a 6ft SW swell (1437 energy) and gentle cross-off winds. Afternoon is more promising with 4.5ft SW swell and clean conditions – good for a session if you’re after something mellow.
Tuesday the 22nd sees a long-period 4ft SSW swell (15 seconds) but light cross-on winds spoil it a bit. Not the best call.
Now, the real standout in the second week is Wednesday the 23rd. Moderate offshore winds from the WSW, a clean 6.5ft SSW swell with 12-second period, and combined energy of 1176. This is very good surf – solid, clean, and the direction is spot on for Tubes’ optimum (SSW). Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so expect company. The following afternoon stays clean and fun with a 4ft SW swell.
Thursday the 24th through to the end of the forecast gets messy again with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions, so don’t plan around those days. The weekend of the 26th and 27th is mostly poor with fresh cross-onshore wind and choppy surf.
Bottom line: Wednesday the 16th for the big, clean, expert-only groundswell, and Wednesday the 23rd for a more moderate but very good session with offshore winds and great shape. Both are the best on offer.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 44mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Thu afternoon). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
444 | 303 | 224 | 276 | 1211 | 4314 | 3186 | 1162 | 2207 | 1767 | 1255 | 1076 | 963 | 1135 | 710 | 465 | 2522 | 1605 | 885 | 1044 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:20PM1.67m | 5:33AM1.48m | 5:46PM1.53m | 5:59AM1.37m | 6:12PM1.39m | 6:25AM1.24m | 6:38PM1.24m | 6:55AM1.09m | 7:11PM1.09m | 7:50AM0.95m | 8:56PM0.95m | 12:15PM0.96m | 00:28AM1.02m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:30PM0.16m | 11:33AM0.21m | 11:56PM0.27m | 11:59AM0.34m | 00:22AM0.40m | 12:25PM0.48m | 00:53AM0.54m | 12:56PM0.63m | 1:41AM0.68m | 2:00PM0.77m | 4:51AM0.75m | 6:22PM0.77m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | |
mm | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 25 | 5 |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 11 | E 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 11 | SW 14 |
1098 | 924 | 701 | 459 | 698 | 168 | 3186 | 1162 | 2207 | 1767 | 1255 | 1076 | 963 | 1135 | 710 | 465 | 2522 | 1605 | 1045 | 1044 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | S 10 | S 8 | — | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | E 10 |
444 | 303 | 224 | 276 | 262 | 206 | 131 | 211 | 104 | 75 | 73 | — | 18 | 13 | — | 124 | 355 | 473 | 885 | 551 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 4 | SW 5 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | — | — | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | — | — |
— | 11 | 23 | 91 | 362 | — | — | 164 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 142 | 232 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 11 | SW 14 | — | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | — | S 7 | SSW 8 |
— | — | — | — | 1211 | 4314 | — | 231 | 278 | 261 | 227 | 408 | 691 | 1046 | 2622 | 3272 | 3037 | — | 388 | 768 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 23 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 143 | 198 | 140 | 30 | 198 | 172 | 601 | 894 | 598 | 434 | 198 | 0 | 0 | 275 | 144 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Tubes Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tubes provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tubes can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tubes 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 (Tubes) 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 Tubes 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.
Tubes is 19 km (12 miles) from the city of Kruisfontein. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape (South), look for hotels and other accommodation in Kruisfontein. Kruisfontein has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










