Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 7,984 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period with SW 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 20s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Big Bay in the next 16 days are 4.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a solid window of surf coming up, with a little bit of something for everyone, but the real standouts are all about timing and wind.
The action kicks off Wednesday afternoon, but conditions are a bit messy with a cross-onshore breeze and choppy surf around the 7ft from the SW. Not the best start, but things are about to change. The real gem of this whole run is Thursday afternoon and Friday morning at Big Bay. We’re looking at clean, offshore winds, with the swell bumping up from 7ft Friday morning to a solid 12ft. That’s a proper, powerful SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and the wave energy is significant (1248 to 4362). This is expert territory though – too big for beginners, but for the crew who can handle it, that Friday morning session is the one to circle. Thursday afternoon is also a good option with the clean conditions and 7ft of SW swell.
The weekend keeps the fun rolling. Saturday morning is clean and offshore with 8ft SW swell, and Sunday is clean all day with 6ft to 7ft SW groundswell, making for some excellent surfing. By Monday morning, we’re still looking good with 6ft of SW swell and a clean offshore breeze. The water’s a touch colder than average, sitting around 57°, so maybe grab the 4/3.
Into the second week, the quality holds but eases off a touch. Tuesday the 28th has a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a good offshore wind in the afternoon. Thursday the 30th has some clean, smaller 5ft to 6ft SW swell. Then, on Saturday the 1st of August, we get a special treat: glassy conditions with a clean 5ft SW groundswell. That’s a standout morning for anyone who just wants smooth, clean lines without the crowd chaos.
There’s a long gap of mediocre conditions in early August, but then we get some wild, huge energy around the 5th and 6th. On Wednesday the 5th, we see a massive 20ft WSW groundswell with an 18-second period, and glassy winds. But that swell is way too big for this break, it’s blown out by Thursday with 23ft+ and strong cross-onshore winds. That’s big-wave territory only, and even then, the wind trashes it. Not one for the average surfer. Overall, the forecast looks promising with consistent, clean conditions for the experienced surfer through the end of July and into early August.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the SE by Tue morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1131 | 734 | 759 | 1191 | 7520 | 4362 | 3536 | 2281 | 1922 | 1591 | 1271 | 914 | 963 | 1127 | 819 | 2644 | 2484 | 2358 | 2544 | 2004 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | off | off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 9:43PM1.11m | 10:48AM0.98m | 11:05PM1.08m | 12:11PM1.02m | 00:19AM1.11m | 1:10PM1.09m | 1:14AM1.17m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:56AM1.25m | 2:29PM1.27m | 2:33AM1.32m | 3:02PM1.36m | 3:06AM1.38m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:14PM0.60m | 4:34AM0.55m | 4:48PM0.64m | 5:57AM0.53m | 6:16PM0.61m | 6:58AM0.46m | 7:16PM0.54m | 7:43AM0.38m | 7:59PM0.45m | 8:20AM0.30m | 8:36PM0.38m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:09PM0.31m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |  |  | |
 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — |
 | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 1131 | 734 | 759 | 1191 | 7520 | 4362 | 3536 | 2281 | 1922 | 1591 | 1271 | 914 | 963 | 1127 | 819 | 606 | 2484 | 2358 | 2544 | 2004 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | — | — | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 115 | 250 | 233 | 537 | — | — | — | — | 703 | — | — | 273 | 255 | 57 | 612 | 159 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 23 | WSW 13 | — | — | — | — | WSW 13 | — | — | — | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 21 | 198 | — | — | — | — | 342 | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | N 4 | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 | — | — | SSE 5 | — | S 4 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 9 | 67 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 10 | — | 21 | 138 | 266 | 2644 | 2003 | 931 | 572 | 237 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 4 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 0 | 129 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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