Scarborough Beach
Cape Peninsula, South Africa · Beach break
Local time — · Sunrise 05:39 · Sunset 19:23
Reading the ocean.
SWELLRADAR is requesting a verified marine run for Scarborough Beach.
Spot intelligence.
This profile covers Scarborough's Cape Town beach peaks, not the separate left-hand point or the namesake breaks overseas. It is an intermediate-to-advanced setup with strong rips. Check the active sandbank and the rock margins before paddling out.
Profile source · Kaap Tours · Scarborough beach guideProfile sources & limits
Reviewed 18 Oct 2026 · not observation-validated
Published sources reviewed by SWELLRADAR, not validation against measured breaking waves. Swell and wind axes are qualitative ranking inputs, not surveyed shoreline bearings. Existing offshore-model height bands are retained, including inherited generic bands; they are not measured local surf limits or wave-face conversions. Offshore request points are not takeoffs. No preferred tide motion is inferred, and all-tides guidance gives no phase bonus or preferred window. Check the actual banks, currents and your ability locally. The local Kaap Tours beach description separates it from the point and favours SE wind; Surf-Forecast's Cape Peninsula beach guide favours ENE. No direction bonus is awarded while this differs. All-stages tide guidance is not a bank-depth guarantee, and reported wave-face sizes are not converted into offshore-model thresholds.
- Kaap Tours · Scarborough beach guide
Intermediate-to-advanced beach peaks distinct from the point, SW–W swell, all tides and SE wind guidance
- Surf-Forecast · Scarborough Beach, Cape Peninsula
South African beach identity, W swell, left/right peaks, strong rips and differing ENE wind guidance
Source-informed axes
Swell axis W · 270°
Wind axis pending · Intermediate profile
Wave
Punchy lefts and rights · beach peaks
Sandbanks with rock margins
Swell window
W–SW · Cape Peninsula beach
0.6–3.0 m offshore ranking band
Clean wind
Local check · guides differ
No wind-direction bonus
Tide window
All stages · section-dependent
No tide phase affects scoring
Field guide
Read the break.
Character · setup · local read
Field guide
Read the break.
Character
01Scarborough Beach is defined by punchy lefts and rights · beach peaks over sandbanks with rock margins. The shape can change with swell angle, period and the active section, so the live score should always be paired with a visual check from shore.
Best setup
02W–SW · Cape Peninsula beach swell, local check · guides differ and all stages · section-dependent form the profile baseline. SWELLRADAR retains 0.6–3.0 m as an offshore-model ranking band, not a measured local surf limit or a breaking-wave prediction.
Lineup read
03Choose a peak that matches your experience and reassess it as tide and crowd change. Pay particular attention to strong rip currents, punchy shorebreak, rocky margins. Local signs and advice always take priority.
Know before you paddle
Live conditions and local advice always override this profile.
Optional community layerRecent surfer reportsVoluntary and potentially incomplete. Not used for the forecast or Surf Score.
The break
Beach break
Intermediate. Works best with W–SW · Cape Peninsula beach swell.
Timing
Local check · guides differ
All stages · section-dependent. Re-check local observations and the lineup before you paddle out.
Data note
Model data unavailable
SWELLRADAR withholds numerical conditions, scores and surf windows until a quality-checked marine forecast is available.