
Surf Forecasts:
Tubes surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 8,921 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 12s. 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 4.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tubes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a solid run of swell coming through at Tubes, with a real standout window that’ll have the locals buzzing. Water temps are sitting about average for this time of year, so no weirdness there.
The first decent surf shows up on Saturday the 18th of July. It’s a modest start with a 4ft S swell at 11 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-off from the west. It’s clean, but not firing. The combined energy is moderate at 715. By the afternoon, it picks up to a 5ft SW swell with a clean offshore breeze – that’s the better part of the day.
Sunday the 19th starts off clean again with a 5ft SW swell, light offshore wind, and moderate energy (836). But the afternoon turns gnarly: the wind howls up to 25 mph from the WSW, the swell jumps to 8ft, and the period drops to 8 seconds – it’s a messy, blown-out mess. Strong breeze and cross-off conditions; the energy is strong at 1164, but it’s not for paddling.
Now Monday the 20th of July is where it gets interesting. The morning is glassy – no wind at all – with an 8ft SW groundswell at 11 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1788, and the wave comment says “very good.” That’s a standout morning for intermediate to advanced surfers. The afternoon stays clean but the wind shifts cross-shore, so it’s not as perfect.
Tuesday the 21st is another beauty. The morning is glassy again, with a 6ft SSW groundswell and a very long 15-second period. That long period will make it peel better off the reef and point at Tubes, with clean, glassy conditions. Energy is strong at 1452. The afternoon holds a 7ft SSW swell, offshore wind, and very good conditions. Wednesday the 22nd keeps the run going: glassy mornings, 7ft SW swell, 13-second period, and strong energy (1672). Thursday the 23rd has a 10ft SW swell, light cross-off wind, and strong energy – still very good, but the size is pushing into expert territory by the afternoon.
The absolute standout is Friday the 24th of July. Morning brings a 13ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell, and the energy is massive at 7591. The wind is glassy, calm, and the wave comment says “excellent for experienced surfers.” This is a big, powerful swell that will be firing at the reef and point, but it’s strictly for experts. The afternoon stays glassy with an 12ft SSW swell. This is the best window of the entire forecast.
After that, conditions get messy. Saturday the 25th has an 12ft SW swell, but the wind comes onshore from the east, making it choppy and marginal. Sunday the 26th sees a return to offshore winds, with a 10ft SSW groundswell and long period, but the wind is moderate and the energy is still strong (4948). It’s surfable but not as clean as earlier in the week. Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th are poor with strong onshore winds and lumpy conditions.
By Wednesday the 29th, the swell drops to 4ft, and the wind is strong and cross-off – not great. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st have small, weak swell (under 4ft) and poor conditions. There’s a glimmer on Saturday the 1st of August with a 5ft SSW swell, glassy morning, and moderate energy (661) – that’s a nice little recovery. Sunday the 2nd of August finishes with a tiny 3ft WSW swell and offshore wind, but it’s very small.
So, the best of the bunch is clearly Friday the 24th of July at Tubes – that 13ft, 16-second SSW groundswell with glassy conditions is a proper session for the experienced crew. The run from Monday the 20th through Wednesday the 22nd is also excellent for intermediates and above. After that, there’s a gap of a few days of average to poor conditions before a small, clean window on the 1st of August.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sun afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
804 | 367 | 475 | 632 | 334 | 846 | 2482 | 1365 | 884 | 416 | 1174 | 1653 | 1932 | 1569 | 1182 | 3286 | 1782 | 1508 | 6059 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | on | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 6:10AM1.50m | 6:39PM1.62m | 6:48AM1.39m | 7:17PM1.51m | 7:26AM1.26m | 7:58PM1.38m | 8:10AM1.14m | 8:45PM1.26m | 9:10AM1.04m | 9:52PM1.15m | 10:51AM0.98m | 11:31PM1.11m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:12AM0.19m | 12:17PM0.12m | 00:52AM0.28m | 12:52PM0.23m | 1:32AM0.39m | 1:29PM0.36m | 2:16AM0.49m | 2:10PM0.49m | 3:10AM0.59m | 3:05PM0.61m | 4:31AM0.65m | 4:37PM0.69m | |||||||
— | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
5:30 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 10 | S 11 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SE 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 17 |
804 | 348 | 348 | 632 | 334 | 268 | 343 | 1365 | 884 | 416 | 1174 | 1653 | 1932 | 1569 | 1182 | 67 | 1782 | 1508 | 6059 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 11 | E 10 | S 11 | SE 10 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ENE 9 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 11 |
72 | 367 | 49 | 231 | 207 | 50 | 29 | 407 | 393 | 380 | 278 | 242 | 146 | 103 | 82 | 16 | 55 | 54 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | E 10 | WSW 10 | SW 13 | SW 12 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 9 | E 10 | SSW 16 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | — | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 8 |
78 | 71 | 35 | 202 | 295 | 31 | 8 | 16 | 18 | 380 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 26 | 26 | — | 6 | 2 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 10 | — | — | SW 8 | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 5 | SW 11 | — | — | — |
— | — | 475 | — | — | 846 | 2482 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 119 | 3286 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 257 | 1 | 0 | 198 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.










