Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 27 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 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 19s period, SW swell with 15,724 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period with SSW 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 (Aug 27) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Big Bay in the next 16 days are 4.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Thu 27th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 11s
Best Surf 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep)15ft (4.5m) 19s
Most Powerful 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep)15ft (4.5m) 19s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at you live from the beach. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks at Big Bay.

Alright, the outlook starts quiet on Thursday the 27th, but things pick up real quick. We've got some decent south-west groundswell moving in, and the first real standout looks to be Friday morning the 28th. The wind goes glassy at just 3.1 mph from the north, and we've got a solid 2.6 ft of swell coming from the WSW with a very long 16-second period. That period is a real beauty, making paddling out a breeze with nice, clean lines. The water here is a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 56.5°, which is pretty notable.

Friday afternoon holds clean too, with the swell bumping up to 3.9 ft and the wind backing off to a light cross-off. This is a top pick for the near-term.

Saturday the 29th sees the swell building but the wind gets up to 12.4-15.5 mph from the SSE and south, making it a bit of a cross-off mess. The wave energy is moderate. It's surfable but not the best.

Now, look ahead to Monday the 31st. The morning session looks prime for the experienced crew. We've got a clean 6.6 ft swell from the WSW with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy from the NW. That's about as clean as it gets. The wave energy is strong.

The real monster, though, is coming on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell is predicted to jack up to a massive 19.7 ft from the SW with an 18-second period. The combined wave energy is incredibly powerful. This is expert territory only, as 8.2 ft and over is too much for most. The wind is cross-off from the S at 18.6 mph, keeping things clean on the face, but the size will be intimidating. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th keep that energy going but with strong winds, making it more of a challenge. If you're not an expert, this whole mid-week period is going to be a washout.

The surf starts to drop off again on the 5th and 6th of September, with Sunday morning the 6th being a nice glassy, clean day with 3.6 ft of 17-second WSW groundswell. That will be a welcome change for everyone.

The second week runs from the 7th onwards, and it’s pretty inconsistent. There are a few glimmers, like Tuesday morning the 8th with a glassy 3.3 ft WSW swell, but nothing that gets the heart racing. The swell fades into the 2.6 ft range by the 9th with poor, choppy conditions. The end of the run on the 11th shows a brief, cross-onshore 8.2 ft spike, but that's not an inviting prospect.

Overall, the absolute best on offer is the glassy Friday morning of the 28th, followed by the massive, expert-only session on Wednesday the 2nd of September. For everyone else, the clean window on Monday the 31st morning is your best bet for some quality without getting smashed. Crowds are likely at Big Bay as it's often busy, but with the size of some of these swells, it might thin out.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Wed afternoon).

Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
3
3
2
2
3
2
2
3
3
1
4
3
2
3
!
!
5
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
S
11
0.8
WSW
16
1.2
WSW
14
1.2
WSW
13
1.4
WSW
14
1.8
WSW
14
1.5
WSW
13
2.5
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
2.2
SW
12
1.9
WSW
12
1.8
SW
11
1.9
SW
11
2.4
SW
13
2.3
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
5
SW
17
4.5
SW
15
3.5
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
351
280
519
454
724
1247
793
2145
1742
1346
923
757
866
1915
1778
2212
14212
8479
4623
Wind (km/h)
5
WSW
0
NNW
10
SSW
10
SSE
15
SSE
25
S
20
S
25
SSE
25
S
15
SSW
5
WSW
15
WSW
5
ENE
10
NW
15
W
10
SSW
25
S
35
SSE
25
SE
Wind State
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
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
6:02AM1.31m
6:19PM1.41m
Low Tide
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
11:59AM0.28m
00:39AM0.29m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:09
7:07
7:05
7:05
7:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:23
6:24
6:24
6:25
6:27
6:27
6:28
 mm
Temp °C
16
18
17
17
17
18
14
14
15
13
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
11
Feels °C
16
18
15
16
14
15
10
8
10
8
12
10
12
12
10
13
8
7
3
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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