Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Bay sea temperature is
13.6°C
2.0° 

Big Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Big Bay surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 5,632 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period with WSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Big Bay this week:

The surf forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Big Bay in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Wed 26th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 12s
Best Surf11PM (Sat 29th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 13s
Most Powerful11PM (Tue 1st Sep)13ft (4.0m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's heading our way for the next couple of weeks.

The first bit of surf arrives on Wednesday afternoon, but it's not going to be for everyone. Big Bay gets a pulse of 4ft SW groundswell, and the water is running a bit colder than usual at 57°F, with an anomaly of -4°F. It's a clean cross-offshore breeze, so the lines will look good, but that long-period energy (12 seconds) and the wave energy levels (1104) are solid. This one's for the experienced crew.

Thursday morning sees a shift to a 5ft SSW swell, with a clean WNW offshore wind. That's a good sign, but the forecast flags it as marginal. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a cross-on wind, so not the pick of the week.

Friday 28 August is a real standout. We're looking at a 3ft WSW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds. The wind is glassy in the morning – zero wind. That's a proper window of clean, lined-up waves. The energy is solid for the size (644). It's not huge, but for a long-period groundswell on a point, it'll be a dream. Keep in mind, that long period might make it a bit tricky on a beach break, but at a spot like this, it'll be pure.

Saturday 29 August holds some promise with a 5ft WSW swell, but it's cloudier with a clean cross-off in the morning. The swell energy is climbing (805). The best of the bunch, though, is Sunday the 30th. Morning glassy conditions with a 7ft WSW swell at 13 seconds. This is the highlight of the first week – excellent, solid surf for experienced surfers with very strong wave energy (1617). The afternoon gets a cross-chop, so be on it early.

Things get a little messy from Monday the 31st through to the end of the first week, with onshore winds and smaller, less powerful swell.

Now, looking into the second week – this is where it gets interesting for the big-wave crew. Tuesday 1 September brings a big jump: a 10ft SW swell, but with 25 km/h cross-on winds. It’s going to be a choppy, powerful mess (2744 energy) – not a paddle session. More of a spectacle. The swell keeps building into a 12ft SW groundswell with the same issue on the wind. Paddling will be a battle.

Wednesday 2 September might offer a brief respite with a 10ft WSW swell and lighter cross-off winds, but the wave comment suggests it's marginal. By Thursday 3 September, a 12ft S swell arrives with gale-force SSE winds at 55 km/h. That's pure windswell with short 10-second periods and very strong energy (3073). Forget the paddle board – this setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The end of the run (from the 7th to the 10th) fades back to small, weak swells under 3ft. There is a brief flurry of clean, small waves on the 9th and 10th with a 2ft to 3ft SW groundswell and clean offshore winds. The energy is very low (between 224 and 532), but with 14 to 16-second periods, a longboard might find a few fun runners.

The absolute standout is Friday 28 August, early morning at Big Bay. That glassy, long-period groundswell will be a gift. The big outside call is Sunday 30 August morning – if you've got the skill, that's the biggest, cleanest swell of the period for the experienced surfer.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Wed
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
2
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
4
3
4
2
2
3
0
0
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
WSW
12
1.2
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
12
1.4
SSW
11
1.2
SSW
11
0.8
WSW
16
1.2
WSW
14
1.2
WSW
13
1.4
WSW
14
1.4
WSW
14
1.6
WSW
13
2.2
WSW
13
2.3
WSW
12
2.1
WSW
12
1.9
WSW
11
1.7
WSW
11
2
SW
11
3
SW
13
3.5
SW
13
3.5
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
458
383
480
455
363
280
519
454
724
756
905
1606
1562
1237
868
713
913
2744
3883
4752
Wind (km/h)
10
SSE
5
NE
5
WNW
10
W
5
S
0
W
15
SSW
5
SSE
10
S
15
SSW
10
NNE
5
N
15
SSW
5
SSE
10
WSW
10
W
15
NNE
25
NNW
25
NW
15
NNE
Wind State
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
glassy
cross
glassy
cross-on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
2:36PM1.42m
2:44AM1.41m
3:04PM1.52m
3:14AM1.47m
3:32PM1.59m
3:44AM1.50m
4:01PM1.63m
4:16AM1.50m
4:31PM1.63m
4:48AM1.47m
5:03PM1.59m
5:23AM1.41m
5:38PM1.52m
Low Tide
8:46PM0.24m
8:54AM0.14m
9:15PM0.16m
9:21AM0.09m
9:44PM0.10m
9:49AM0.07m
10:14PM0.07m
10:18AM0.07m
10:45PM0.07m
10:48AM0.11m
11:18PM0.11m
11:22AM0.18m
11:55PM0.19m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:11
7:09
7:09
7:07
7:05
7:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:22
6:23
6:24
6:24
6:25
6:27
6:27
 mm
3
Temp °C
24
23
20
18
16
19
22
16
16
17
13
13
14
13
13
13
12
13
14
13
Feels °C
22
21
17
15
16
19
20
15
14
15
8
12
11
10
11
10
10
8
10
9
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Big Bay Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Big Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Big Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Big Bay 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 (Big Bay) 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 Big Bay 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.

Big Bay is 8 km (5 miles) from the very large city of Robben Island. If you plan a holiday in Cape Town, look for hotels and other accommodation in Robben Island. Robben Island has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as cheap car hire and transport links.

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