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Level 10/10

Dungeons

Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
🦈Sharks😮‍💨Hold-downs🏝️Remote

Dungeons is South Africa's premier big wave spot—a powerful right-hand reef break near Hout Bay that hosts the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event. The wave produces double-up drops that funnel into fast, walling faces, testing even the best big wave surfers. Located in cold, shark-rich waters off Cape Town, Dungeons breaks infrequently but delivers serious size when SW winter swells hit the coast. The dramatic Table Mountain backdrop and the quality of the wave make it Africa's most respected big wave venue.

10-Day Forecast
Today5
43
Poor
2.8m@16s
33km/h
Thu6
24
Poor
4.6m@14s
16km/h
Fri7
50
Fair
4.3m@15s
10km/h
Sat8
51
Fair
4.1m@14s
13km/h
Sun9
23
Poor
4.1m@12s
24km/h
Mon10
0
Poor
3.1m@12s
22km/h
Tue11
0
Poor
2.2m@12s
11km/h
Wed12
30
Poor
2.4m@18s
8km/h
Thu13
44
Poor
2.9m@16s
2km/h
Fri14
20
Poor
2.8m@14s
10km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 30 km/h · PM 35 km/h · Tide at 6am (1.5m)
Swell
2.8m
SW(227°)
Score: 3/25
Period
16s
Long period groundswell
Score: 14/25
Wind
33km/h
NNW(345°)
Score: 8/25
Weather
14°C
0.0mm88%
First light 7:05amSunrise 7:35amSunset 6:09pmLast light 6:39pm
Windswell1.1m@4sSecondary0.5mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 8:41am–4:30pm · through lowIdeal tide: mid
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
13°
13°
15°
15°
14°
13°
13°
15°
15°
13°
12°
13°
17°
16°
13°
11°
13°
16°
15°
14°
10°
11°
13°
13°
12°
11°
12°
14°
15°
14°
11°
13°
17°
18°
15°
14°
16°
20°
21°
17°
13°
16°
22°
23°
19°
14°
15°
18°
20°
17°
5m2.5
sec
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
18s
18s
18s
18s
18s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
swell
windkm/h
29g52
31g60
35g70
35g68
35g65
9g16
13g21
17g36
22g44
23g46
21g36
13g29
6g17
9g23
3g16
2g12
11g18
17g35
20g40
7g27
19g41
19g46
25g53
29g59
26g57
17g32
16g35
22g45
27g57
29g61
22g47
13g68
9g43
6g25
5g21
7g22
2g26
8g27
12g27
9g27
2g11
1g8
1g11
1g14
5g16
2g5
4g8
11g23
16g34
19g36
tidem
12:46am0.6m
6:55am1.5m
12:40pm0.7m
7:08pm1.6m
1:48am0.7m
7:43am1.3m
1:47pm0.7m
8:10pm1.4m
2:55am0.6m
9:20am1.2m
3:20pm0.7m
9:47pm1.4m
4:43am0.6m
11:00am1.2m
5:15pm0.6m
6:06am0.4m
12:18pm1.2m
6:35pm0.3m
12:34am1.2m
7:02am0.1m
1:17pm1.2m
7:25pm0.1m
1:33am1.3m
7:46am0.0m
2:06pm1.5m
8:12pm0.2m
2:20am1.6m
8:30am0.1m
2:45pm1.8m
9:00pm0.2m
3:01am1.7m
9:12am0.1m
3:24pm1.8m
9:40pm0.1m
3:42am1.7m
9:47am0.2m
4:02pm1.9m
10:17pm0.3m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

12:46 am
Low tide - 0.55m
6:55 am
High tide - 1.46m
12:40 pm
Low tide - 0.69m
7:08 pm
High tide - 1.62m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

43
Poor
Components
Swell Direction23/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period14/25
Wind8/25
Raw Score48/100
Adjustments
💨 Gusty Wind-5
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score43/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score43

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to CPT, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (225°)
Direction range
190° - 260°
Size range
4m - 10m
Ideal size
7.2m
Height multiplier
1.08×
Ideal period
18s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NW (315°)
Offshore range
270° - 360°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid

Water temp

14°C

Wetsuit

4/3mm fullsuit

Difficulty

10/10

Crowd level

2/10

Access: Boat/jet ski access only

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Dungeons?

Dungeons works best on a mid tide. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Dungeons?

Offshore wind at Dungeons blows from the NW (315°). Anything in the 270° to 360° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Dungeons?

Dungeons wants SW swell (190° to 260°) between 4m and 10m, with a period of 18s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Dungeons?

The main season at Dungeons is May-Sep. Winter swells. Infrequent but powerful when it breaks.

How do I get to Dungeons?

Fly into CPT, then allow about 30 minutes by road, plus a boat transfer (around $200 USD). Boat/jet ski access only

What kind of wave is Dungeons?

Dungeons is a big wave break, a right-hander. Difficulty is rated 10/10.

Best Season

Peak: May-Sep

Winter swells. Infrequent but powerful when it breaks.

Getting There

Airport
CPT
Drive time
30 min
Boat required
$200
Data quality
verified

🤙 Strike Specialist

The Strike Specialist in South Africa is Llewellyn Whittaker. Get in touch with them for the best chance of scoring the best waves in South Africa — and don't forget to tell 'em Barrel D sent ya. He also offers high-level surf coaching, so you can level up while you strike.

Strike Log

Community Discussion