MapSouth AfricaBlouberg – Big Bay, Cape TownDolphin BeachBlouberg – Big Bay, Cape Town

Dolphin Beach

Western Cape · Cape Town - Blouberg/Big Bay · Table View, Cape Town

also known as Table View Beach, Bloubergstrand Dolphin Beach

Part of Blouberg – Big Bay, Cape Town →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

not for beginnershigh crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Oct–Mar

Months riders and schools name

How windy

under Typical strength, below

Character: mixed

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

12–18 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Intermediate to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Dec Jan Feb

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Town International Airport (CPT)

Transfer times under Getting there

On the clock

10:00 · 16:00 · 18:00

Light in the morning, filling in from around 10:00, hardest through the mid-to-late afternoon with the peak near 16:00, and often still fully powered at 18:00. Dolphin Beach comes in earlier than Big Bay, so on a slow day this is where the strip starts working first.

The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Kite Beachno page yet
Doodlesno page yet
Table View Beachalso a name for this spot
Haakgatno page yet
Melkbosstrandno page yet
Langebaan Lagoon

The spot

Dolphin Beach is the Marine Drive end of Cape Town's Blouberg/Big Bay kite coast, in Table View, and one of the most used launches on that strip.

Open Atlantic conditions

This is open Atlantic, not a protected lagoon: cold water, shore break, chop, and wave faces commonly 1-4 m. The engine is the South Easter, the Cape Doctor, hardest from December to February and useful across the wider October-to-March season. It builds through the day, so a frightening forecast is usually civil in the morning and fully lit by late afternoon.

Facilities and crowds

On the ground you get a big sandy launch, a large car park, toilets, a slipway and grass rigging by the Dolphin Beach Hotel, plus no lifeguards at all and an official line that swimming is not recommended. In peak season it is crowded, with schools and downwinder traffic in the mix.

Skill requirement

Independent beginners should learn at Langebaan or another flat lagoon and come back here once they can ride upwind through a shore break.

The wind

locals call it Cape Doctor

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

SE and S carry the season, with SW also working; NW belongs to winter frontal systems and brings bigger surf with it.

Kite sizes

4567891011121314

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

A 75-85 kg rider covers most of the season on 7 and 9 m, with a 5 m for the strongest afternoons. A 10-12 m is only worth carrying for marginal shoulder-season days.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

10-40 regional Blouberg wind range; no Dolphin Beach statistical average was available

Typical strength

25-35 on strong summer Cape Doctor days

Strong and reliable in season, and often more than you want. Sunset Beach up the coast is the gustier of the two; Blouberg and Dolphin sit cross to cross-on in the Cape Doctor.

Main Cape Town kite season is November to March, with the strongest and most reliable period usually December to February. October and March are shoulder months with lower crowds and still useful wind. Winter brings less reliable NW storm wind and bigger surf.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

12 ktJan19°
–Feb19°
–Mar18°
–Apr17°
9 ktMay16°
–Jun16°
–Jul15°
–Aug15°
–Sep15°
–Oct16°
–Nov17°
–Dec18°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Monthly averages. Highlighted: the months riders and schools name (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct).

Measured at Cape Town (city climate station), ~12 km from the spot (not stated on page (WeatherSpark uses a multi-year, MERRA-2-based modeled climate record, typically ~1980-2016; no exact station-year count given)).

Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	11.9 kt	S	20.6 °C	18.9 °C
Feb	no figure	S	20.6 °C	18.9 °C
Mar	no figure	S	19.4 °C	17.8 °C
Apr	no figure	S	17.2 °C	16.7 °C
May	9.4 kt	S/N	15 °C	16.1 °C
Jun	no figure	N	13.3 °C	15.6 °C
Jul	no figure	N	12.8 °C	15 °C
Aug	no figure	N/W	13.3 °C	15 °C
Sep	no figure	S	14.4 °C	15 °C
Oct	no figure	S	16.1 °C	15.6 °C
Nov	no figure	S	17.8 °C	16.7 °C
Dec	no figure	S	20 °C	17.8 °C

How this was measuredmeasured · not stated on page (WeatherSpark uses a multi-year, MERRA-2-based modeled climate record, typically ~1980-2016; no exact station-year count given)

A ground station recorded this, at the distance the page names.

A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Cape Town (city climate station) · weatherspark · not stated on page (WeatherSpark uses a multi-year, MERRA-2-based modeled climate record, typically ~1980-2016; no exact station-year count given)

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

No inside bank you can stand on. The bottom is sand and the water is open Atlantic, with wave faces commonly 1-3 m; the flattest water is the ground between the wave lines, not shallow water. A wadeable learner area here is unconfirmed - nothing found describes one.

Tides

Semi-diurnal, springs about 1.6-1.7 m and neaps near half a metre. The flattest water between the kickers comes on the higher tides. No state of tide closes the spot, and there is far more beach here than at Big Bay whatever the water is doing.

Temperature

12–18 °C summer · 13–17 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 15–19 °C

Wetsuit

Full wetsuit. Common guidance is 3/2 or 4/3; some local school guidance for Blouberg suggests thicker suits in winter.

Currents

Generally mild close to shore inside the bank

Conditions

Open Atlantic beach on the Benguela-current side of Cape Town, with chop, shore break, and wave faces commonly around 1-4 m, and bigger winter surf possible. No sheltered standing-depth learner bank is known at Dolphin Beach.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

not for beginners here

An ocean spot for confident riders: cold water, shore break, strong wind, crowds and waves. It is sometimes rated beginner-friendly and schools do teach along Blouberg, but the 2025-2026 advice is to learn at Langebaan or another flatter lagoon and bring the skill here.

The scene

What riders come here for

freerideflat waterwavesbig airdownwinderswakestyle

Who it suitsbeginner

A busy ocean launch. Locals, travelling pros, school groups, downwinder traffic and big-air riders all share it, with spectators standing around the hotel and restaurant access. Walk upwind or downwind and it thins out fast.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

13 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

4 spots nearby

All 4 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

There are no lifeguards on duty at Dolphin Beach and swimming is officially not recommended because conditions can be dangerous. Sea rescue is 112 from a mobile or 087 094 9774; if you go down, stay with the kite for flotation and visibility.

The nearest patrolled beach is Big Bay, where volunteers cover weekends from the first weekend of November until after Easter, duty tower 087 470 1363. Schools on the beach support their own lessons and downwinders - nobody is watching independent riders.

Launch

One-kilometre sandy City beach on Marine Drive in Table View, with a large car park, toilets, a boat launch/slipway, and beach or grass rigging around the Dolphin Beach Hotel/Blowfish restaurant access. The hotel promotes direct beach access about 50 m over the dunes and lawn rigging for guests.

Hazards riders report 23 reported

Wind

strong gusty wind on big summer days
Strong afternoon Cape Doctor wind; smaller kites may be required
Strong afternoon Cape Doctor wind; smaller kites than most destinations

Crowds and zones

crowding near school zones in peak season
boat/swimmer traffic close to shore
Swimming is officially not recommended because conditions can be dangerous
High peak-season kite density, with up to about 150 kites out on the crowded days
Keep clear of swimmers, surfers, beach users, and do not leave kite lines spread across busy beach space
No lifeguards on duty, and swimming is officially not recommended because conditions can be dangerous
Swimmers, surfers and beach users to keep clear of, and lines not to leave spread across busy sand
Boat traffic using the slipway

Waves and currents

Cold Atlantic/Benguela-current water
Open-ocean shore break, chop, and 1-4 m wave faces depending on swell
Open-ocean shore break, chop and 1-3 m wave faces depending on swell

Other

cold Atlantic water
No lifeguards on duty at Dolphin Beach as of 2026
Sunset glare can make other riders hard to see
Table View beachfront works through 2026 may close work areas; use signed beach access routes
Cold Benguela-influenced Atlantic water
Very high kite density in peak season, with up to about 150 kites reported on the water
Sunset glare over the Atlantic hides other riders
Beachfront construction between Dolphin Beach and Bokkomsbaai through 2026: fenced work areas, signed access routes only
Vehicle break-ins at beach car parks

Rules & access

1 min read

As of 2026 no Dolphin Beach-specific kitesurf permit or formal kite zone is published. The beach is officially listed for water sports, with toilets, parking for about 500 vehicles, a boat launch and slipway and dogs allowed off lead, and in the same listing there are no lifeguards on duty and swimming is not recommended.

Construction

The Table View beachfront upgrade covers the 3 km from Dolphin Beach to Bokkomsbaai: work areas are fenced off, the public must use the signed beach access paths and follow traffic diversions, the heaviest disruption was expected to finish by April 2026 and the whole project by November 2026.

Rules

Standard water rules apply: do not kite in flagged swimming areas, keep wide clearance from non-kiters, launch and land away from bystanders, and clear your lines off the sand after landing.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

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Rider tips

Ride earlier if you want under 30 knots: it fills in from around 10:00 and peaks near 16:00, and this end of the strip switches on before Big Bay does.
Bring smaller kites than you would take to a warm-water trip. 7-9 m covers most days and the strongest afternoons want a 5 m.
Wear a full wetsuit even in summer, and a 4/3 or thicker if you feel the cold.
Time the higher tides if you are here to practise rather than to jump; the smoothest water between the kickers comes then.
Rig on the hotel lawn behind the car park, and walk upwind or downwind if the main Dolphin Beach access is packed with school groups and downwinder traffic.
Nobody is watching independent riders. Ride with a buddy, save 112 and 087 094 9774 before you launch, and remember that sunset glare over the Atlantic hides other kites.

Getting there

Airport

Cape Town International Airport (CPT)

Route

From central Cape Town drive north on the N1 then the R27 Marine Drive corridor towards Table View, and turn in by the Dolphin Beach complex and the Blowfish restaurant into the beach car park, which holds around 500 vehicles.Rental car, taxi or Uber all work, and the MyCiTi bus is useful for some downwind logistics.Beachfront construction runs from Dolphin Beach to Bokkomsbaai through 2026, so expect fenced sections, traffic diversions and signed beach access routes rather than your usual path to the sand.

Transfer (minutes)

30-60 depending on traffic

Cost level

medium

Staying

Beachfront self-catering apartments and cabanas at Dolphin Beach Hotel, plus guesthouses, hostels and apartments through Table View, Blouberg and Big Bay. Staying on the Blouberg/Big Bay beach strip reduces commute time during windy afternoons.

No-wind days

Table Mountain, V&A Waterfront, Canal Walk, Cape Town food and coffee, Durbanville/nearby winelands, coastal walks/runs/cycling on the Table View beachfront, sandboarding, skydiving, golf, and longer trips to other Cape kite regions.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Dolphin Beach?

The strongest and most reliable wind is usually December to February, part of a broader November-March Cape Doctor season, with October and March as quieter shoulder months.

Is Dolphin Beach suitable for beginners?

There is a shallow, standing-depth inside bank used for lessons, but independent beginners are generally advised toward flatter spots like Langebaan given the cold water, crowds and shore break.

What is the wind like at Dolphin Beach?

The Cape Doctor is a strong south-easterly, cross-onshore, often starting light near 10:00 and peaking around 16:00, with 25-35 knots common on strong summer days.

Are there safety concerns to know about?

The City of Cape Town lists no lifeguards on duty and advises against swimming here, so riders should be self-sufficient in cold Atlantic water with shore break.

The bigger pictureEverything about Cape Town - Blouberg/Big Bay

Last updated: August 2026