
Surf Forecasts:
Tubes surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 15s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 3,913 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 13s 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tubes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board and wax, folks. Rusty here with the full 16-day picture for Tubes. This is a reef and point set-up that loves a solid SSW groundswell, and boy, is it gonna get some.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things kick off proper on Friday the 11th. The water’s sitting at a brutal 57°F, which is 9°F colder than it should be for this time of year – that’s seriously, unusually frigid, so a thick steamer is non-negotiable.
Friday morning at Tubes is the first real standout. We’ve got a clean 6ft SSW groundswell with a juicy 13-second period. That’s plenty of energy (combined energy of 1204). The wind is a light S cross-off, which will keep the faces clean and make for some proper, lined-up walls. It’s a solid intermediate-friendly size, but bring your patience for the lulls between sets with that long period. The crowds are always a possibility here, so get out early.
Friday afternoon gets bumpy as the wind swings ESE and picks up, so don’t expect the quality to hold. We then have a few days of messy, windy, or just mediocre conditions to sit through.
Now, next Wednesday the 16th is the big one for the experienced crew. The early morning pumps a solid 10ft of SW swell (combined energy of 3331). The wind is a moderate offshore from the WSW, so it’ll be clean, but you’ll have to work for it. That’s well past beginner territory – this one’s for the guys who know how to handle a big, hollow reef.
There are a few other windows in the second week where things clean up, particularly the morning of Sunday the 20th with 6ft SW groundswell and glassy conditions (combined energy of 1232). That’s a beauty, and the lightest of winds will make it look like a mirror.
Looking further out, Saturday the 26th is another heavy-hitter morning with 10ft SW groundswell (combined energy of 2253) and a gentle offshore wind. It's solid, but by the afternoon that wind cranks up to a strong offshore that will make it a struggle to even get out the back.
Overall, the best bets are the consistent and clean early window on Friday the 11th, and the big, expert-only groundswell on Wednesday the 16th. There’s surf on the horizon, just need to pick the right sessions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the ESE by Sun morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Wed morning). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 15 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1204 | 1269 | 678 | 365 | 1542 | 2892 | 2146 | 1649 | 1930 | 1296 | 451 | 303 | 748 | 665 | 932 | 3331 | 3913 | 1247 | 1474 | 840 | 2466 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:54PM1.83m | 4:07AM1.67m | 4:24PM1.83m | 4:37AM1.64m | 4:53PM1.77m | 5:06AM1.58m | 5:20PM1.67m | 5:33AM1.48m | 5:46PM1.53m | 5:59AM1.37m | 6:12PM1.39m | 6:25AM1.24m | 6:38PM1.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:41AM-0.02m | 10:07PM-0.00m | 10:10AM-0.03m | 10:36PM0.01m | 10:39AM0.02m | 11:04PM0.07m | 11:06AM0.10m | 11:30PM0.16m | 11:33AM0.21m | 11:56PM0.27m | 11:59AM0.34m | 00:22AM0.40m | 12:25PM0.48m | 00:53AM0.54m | |||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 13 |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 18 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
1204 | 1269 | 678 | 365 | 1542 | 2892 | 2146 | 1649 | 1930 | 1296 | 1202 | 901 | 748 | 665 | 932 | 3331 | 3913 | 1247 | 1474 | 718 | 2466 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 7 | SW 14 | SE 13 | — | — | — | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 15 | E 10 |
80 | 49 | 116 | 301 | 7 | — | — | — | 872 | 543 | 451 | 303 | 489 | 347 | 305 | 200 | 162 | 98 | 98 | 840 | 48 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 10 | SSW 10 | SE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | — | — | — | SSW 17 | E 10 | — |
— | — | 31 | 121 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 79 | 57 | 154 | 515 | — | — | — | 159 | 72 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | — | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 8 | — | SW 6 | SE 6 |
— | — | 128 | 134 | 256 | 1299 | 1951 | 1767 | 2521 | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 599 | — | 200 | 102 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 180 | 23 | 0 | 140 | 198 | 514 | 198 | 183 | 9 | 64 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 0 | 257 |
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.










