
Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 3,577 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 14s period. 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Big Bay has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, the water temp is sitting at a chilly 53°F, which is a good 7°F colder than usual for this time of year. That is a serious anomaly; you're gonna need a thick suit, maybe a hood, and a lot of grit. The first few days are a bit of a dud, so we're holding out until Thursday, September 10th for things to get real.
Monday the 7th is a no-go with small, marginal 7ft SW swell and onshore winds. Tuesday and Wednesday are even smaller. You'd be wasting your time.
Now, Thursday the 10th is the absolute standout. We've got a solid 8ft SW groundswell rolling in with a long 16-second period, dumping huge amounts of energy here (3577). The winds are clean, offshore out of the SSE, which is going to set up some epic, glassy walls. This is serious, powerful surf – definitely for experienced surfers only. This is the one you want to circle on the calendar. Thursday afternoon holds similar size and quality (2480 energy), though the wind backs off to a side-offshore, but still clean.
Friday the 11th is still fun as the swell drops to 6ft from the WSW, but the wind picks up to a stiff 19 mph cross-offshore breeze. It'll be clean but lumpy and a bit of a fight to get out back.
Saturday the 12th is another good day. That south-east wind drops right off in the morning to a light 6 mph cross-off, with a clean 5ft SW swell (975 energy). It is proper textbook conditions for an intermediate surfer. Saturday afternoon sees the swell bump back up to 7ft with a long 16-second period and a bit more energy (2014), so you could get a good session in all day.
Sunday the 13th takes a turn for the worse. The wind swings to a strong 19 mph onshore from the north, making the 7ft swell a complete mess. It’s a write-off. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are even worse, with trash winds including a day of 25 mph onshore and a massive 13ft swell on Tuesday. That’s just dangerous and blown-out, possibly more of a kiteboarding day. Those days are ugly.
Wednesday the 16th has a promising 10ft SW swell (4479 energy) but it's pinned with an 19 mph onshore wind. Clean but not great. By Thursday the 17th, we get a strong offshore breeze from the SE, but the swell is back down to a weak 5ft from the SSW. The strong 25 mph offshore wind will make it clean as a whistle, but super hard to paddle into and a bit fat. By the end of the week and into the weekend, the swell is tiny and the wind is still howling. The last glimmer is on Tuesday the 22nd, where a light 3ft WSW swell meets a gentle offshore breeze. It’s small, but that’s your best bet for a clean, longboarder-friendly wave. Crowds are often at Big Bay, so expect company.
In short: Thursday the 10th is your bullseye for a proper, heavy-groundswell session. After that, it's a bit of a battle with the wind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1493 | 1155 | 454 | 294 | 140 | 151 | 342 | 295 | 680 | 3577 | 2480 | 1647 | 1032 | 746 | 518 | 792 | 1856 | 2416 | 1680 | 1401 | 821 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 12:46PM1.27m | 1:05AM1.32m | 1:34PM1.43m | 1:53AM1.44m | 2:15PM1.57m | 2:33AM1.51m | 2:51PM1.66m | 3:10AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.70m | 3:44AM1.55m | 3:58PM1.68m | 4:17AM1.52m | 4:29PM1.62m | 4:48AM1.45m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:02PM0.34m | 7:23AM0.22m | 7:50PM0.20m | 8:04AM0.12m | 8:31PM0.08m | 8:41AM0.05m | 9:08PM0.01m | 9:15AM0.02m | 9:42PM-0.01m | 9:48AM0.03m | 10:15PM0.01m | 10:19AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.07m | ||||||||
6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 23 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 22 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
1493 | 1155 | 454 | 294 | 117 | 151 | 342 | 295 | 680 | 3577 | 2480 | 1647 | 1032 | 746 | 518 | 792 | 1856 | 2416 | 1680 | 1401 | 821 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | S 9 | S 7 | S 7 | — | — | NW 5 | NNW 6 |
— | — | 303 | 156 | 140 | 140 | 21 | 9 | 186 | — | — | — | — | 40 | 41 | 100 | 73 | — | — | 36 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 18 | WSW 16 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 13 | 26 | 49 | 27 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 68 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | — | S 4 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | — | SSE 6 | — | NNW 5 | — | SSW 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 18 | 21 | — | 28 | 427 | 457 | 645 | 215 | — | 85 | — | 56 | — | 435 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 91 | 0 | 400 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 280 | 87 | 34 |
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.










