
Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, WSW swell with 5,723 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, crew, Rusty here. Let’s break down the waves for Big Bay. This spot is exposed to the open ocean, really loves a good SW groundswell, and the water is way colder than it should be for this time of year—checking in at 56°F with a 4°F anomaly.
We get the first proper surf on Saturday, August 1st. A clean 4ft SW swell, 14-second period, with a light cross-off breeze from the ENE. The wave energy is moderate (585), and the morning looks very good. A nice way to start the weekend.
Sunday the 2nd is a bit average with messy cross and cross-on winds. Better to sit this one out.
Monday, August 3rd is the first real standout. The morning is glassy, a 5ft SW swell, 12-second period, and a NNE breeze that’s turned it to glass. The combined energy is moderate (795). This is clean, fun-sized surf—perfect for an intermediate surfer, and no crowds are mentioned.
The swell builds through the week, but Wednesday, August 5th is a mess with 15 mph cross-on winds and a 7ft choppy, blown-out wave. Don’t bother.
Thursday, August 6th is where the big boys come out to play. A powerful 13ft WSW swell, 13-second period, and the energy is ripping at 5723. The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSE. This is expert-only territory—way too big for beginners, and even experienced surfers need to be on their toes. This is the best wave of the entire forecast.
Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th stay big, but the wind gets messy with onshore and cross-shore chop. The size is there, but the quality is average.
Sunday, August 9th through Tuesday, August 11th is a massive swell event. The combined energy hits five digits—12945 on Sunday morning with a 20ft SW swell. The wind is clean, but the forecast says it’s simply too big for this break. Even experts will be looking at a close-out. By Tuesday afternoon, the swell drops to a more manageable 8ft, and the energy is still strong (3434), with a clean cross-off breeze. That afternoon window is a good one for the experienced.
We get a beautiful long-period groundswell on Wednesday, August 12th and Thursday, August 13th with a 7ft WSW swell and an 18-second period. The combined energy is moderate to strong (3162). The offshore wind from the SE on Wednesday morning will make for clean, lined-up waves, but that very long period can make things a bit straight at a beach break. Still, a great option.
The final week, from Friday, August 14th onward, fades into smaller, cleaner surf. The morning of the 15th offers a 7ft WSW swell with a clean cross-off breeze and moderate energy (1800)—a decent Saturday for the experienced.
Sunday, August 16th is back to being too big, with a 15ft swell and very high energy.
Bottom line: Thursday the 6th is the call for the experts, and Monday the 3rd morning is the best for everyone else wanting clean, glassy surf. The big swell window from the 9th to the 11th is mostly for watching, but Tuesday afternoon could be a sneaky good one.
Stay sharp, and don't be late for the 3rd. The 6th is for the brave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
581 | 494 | 486 | 486 | 442 | 669 | 609 | 499 | 455 | 431 | 258 | 206 | 1712 | 3645 | 5173 | 5723 | 5506 | 4915 | 3153 | 2310 | 3663 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:03PM1.53m | 5:13AM1.39m | 5:34PM1.52m | 5:48AM1.34m | 6:08PM1.47m | 6:28AM1.27m | 6:48PM1.41m | 7:15AM1.19m | 7:38PM1.32m | 8:20AM1.10m | 8:48PM1.23m | 9:52AM1.05m | 10:22PM1.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:47AM0.13m | 11:13PM0.20m | 11:16AM0.16m | 11:47PM0.21m | 11:48AM0.21m | 00:24AM0.25m | 12:25PM0.29m | 1:09AM0.31m | 1:11PM0.39m | 2:07AM0.39m | 2:13PM0.48m | 3:28AM0.44m | 3:47PM0.55m | ||||||||
7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 16 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
581 | 494 | 486 | 486 | 442 | 669 | 609 | 499 | 455 | 431 | 258 | 147 | 1712 | 3645 | 5173 | 5723 | 5506 | 4915 | 3153 | 2310 | 3663 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | — | SE 11 | S 9 | SW 16 | S 8 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | — | 4 | 6 | 118 | 1 | 186 | 324 | 199 | 40 | 117 | 131 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 9 | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 25 | 206 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 34 | 280 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 29 | 45 |
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.











