
Surf Forecasts:
Tubes surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with 7,297 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tubes in the next 16 days are 3.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tubes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break down what’s on the cards for Tubes.
We’re starting off with a bit of a flat, messy run. The first few days are looking pretty average, with some cross-onshore winds and junky surf. We’ve got some swell on the way, but the wind isn’t doing us any favors yet. It’s one of those times where you might be better off just watching the forecast and waiting for things to clean up.
Come Sunday the 6th, we see a solid pulse of energy showing up, but the wind is blowing onshore and it’s making a mess of things. The swell jumps up to over 11 feet, but it’s not going to be rideable at Tubes with these conditions. Too much wind and chop, you’d be getting worked. This is a big energy event, with combined swell energy pushing over 7000, but it’s all for nothing unless the wind backs off.
The real window starts to open up on Tuesday morning, the 8th. We finally get a lull in the wind, with it going totally glassy. The swell drops to a cleaner 4.3ft from the SW with a 13-second period. That’s when Tubes starts to show its potential. It’s not a massive day, but it’s clean and inviting. The energy is moderate at 697, but the drop in wind makes it way more appealing.
From there, we’re tracking the conditions. The morning of Thursday the 10th sees more swell building, with a 3.6ft SW swell and a longer 16-second period, which brings in some nice groundswell. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s a little bit lumpy but still manageable. The energy is picking up, around 1037.
Then we hit the standouts. The first one is the morning of Monday the 14th. This is the one to circle on the calendar. We’re looking at a solid 13ft SW swell with an 11-second period. The combined energy is over 6700, which is strong. And the wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping the faces clean. It’s going to be big, powerful, and perfect for experienced surfers only. This is a proper session for those who know what they’re doing at Tubes. The second standout is the morning after, on Tuesday the 15th, which still has a very solid 8.2ft SW swell with a 11-second period, light cross-offshore winds, and strong, clean surf. Two solid days in a row there.
Now, for the later part of the week, things start to get a bit more complicated. We’ve got some strong winds building again, with strong offshore winds on Wednesday the 16th. That can make it tough to paddle out, even if the surf is still solid at 7.2-8.2ft. And we’re also dealing with some rain. It’s still worth a look, but it’s not as clean as the earlier days.
After that, the weekend of the 19th and 20th looks like it could get big again, especially the afternoon of the 20th with a 14.8ft SW swell. But the winds are looking strong and cross-offshore, which might make it wild. It’s a long way out, so treat that one as promising but not certain.
One thing to note: the water’s running much colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the thickest wetsuit you’ve got. Definitely not a time to be complaining about the cold.
So, to wrap it up: the early days are a write-off. The window from Monday the 14th into Tuesday the 15th is your best bet for quality, experienced surf. Keep an eye on the long range for the 20th, but don’t bank on it yet.
Stay salty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
541 | 520 | 442 | 3786 | 7256 | 4542 | 2515 | 1733 | 841 | 591 | 367 | 232 | 169 | 404 | 326 | 625 | 2948 | 2391 | 1811 | 1326 | 1019 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:45AM1.02m | 10:56PM1.12m | 12:16PM1.11m | 00:45AM1.23m | 1:25PM1.30m | 1:43AM1.38m | 2:11PM1.50m | 2:26AM1.51m | 2:48PM1.66m | 3:02AM1.61m | 3:22PM1.77m | 3:36AM1.66m | 3:54PM1.83m | 4:07AM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:00PM0.66m | 5:47AM0.59m | 6:28PM0.58m | 7:10AM0.43m | 7:38PM0.40m | 7:58AM0.27m | 8:23PM0.24m | 8:36AM0.13m | 9:01PM0.11m | 9:09AM0.03m | 9:35PM0.03m | 9:41AM-0.02m | 10:07PM-0.00m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | 21 |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 23 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 30 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
541 | 520 | 442 | 3786 | 7256 | 4542 | 2515 | 1733 | 702 | 416 | 280 | 201 | 201 | 404 | 326 | 376 | 2948 | 2391 | 1811 | 1326 | 1019 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | SSE 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 9 | E 9 | SW 16 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | E 10 | SE 14 |
66 | 47 | 58 | 325 | — | — | 58 | 676 | 841 | 591 | 367 | 232 | 145 | 164 | 110 | 625 | 38 | 60 | 71 | 49 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 25 | WSW 10 | — | — | — | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SW 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 5 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 9 | SE 12 | — |
18 | 17 | 361 | 36 | — | — | — | 50 | 117 | 106 | 77 | 47 | 169 | 35 | 16 | 36 | 88 | 63 | 26 | 6 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | WSW 3 | W 5 | S 5 | — | — | — | SSE 7 | ESE 8 |
193 | 163 | 153 | 110 | 139 | 273 | 623 | 1055 | 1198 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 75 | 58 | — | — | — | 175 | 572 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 598 | 598 | 198 | 198 | 560 | 198 | 172 | 140 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 143 | 0 | 191 | 180 | 1 | 180 | 140 | 507 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










