Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 01 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Bay sea temperature is
12.9°C
2.7° 

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 1 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 3,688 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Tue 1st Sep)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Best Surf11PM (Tue 1st Sep)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Most Powerful 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep)10ft (3.0m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Big Bay.

First up, we’ve got a slug of powerful swell coming in right away on Tuesday, September 1st. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a solid 5° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s way, way chillier than normal, so you’ll want a thick suit and booties. The swell is a solid 10ft from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds, giving it some serious grunt. The combined energy is a massive 3208, so there’s a lot of water moving. However, the wind is a cross-shore, and the report calls it marginal. It’s a big, powerful wave, but it’s not going to be your pretty, picture-perfect day. For the experienced crew only, and even then, it’s a bit of a wrestle.

Wednesday holds similar size at 10ft, with the morning light cross-shore making it a touch better than the afternoon. But honestly, the scores are low, and it’s just not coming together cleanly.

Now, Thursday morning, September 3rd, is where we get our first real standout. The swell drops to a still solid 8ft from the SW, period 12 seconds, and the combined energy is 3105. The wind goes light cross-off, and the report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is the pick of the first week. The swell direction is bang on the optimum SW, and with that clean wind, Big Bay will be offering up some serious, well-shaped barrels. It’s going to be big and powerful, but for the guys who know what they’re doing, this is the session to circle. The afternoon on Thursday, though, the wind howls from the SSE at 28 mph and the swell jumps to 12ft with a short 9-second period – that’s a total mess. Don’t bother.

The rest of the first week is a bit of a write-off. Friday and Saturday are smaller, but the wind is up and the quality drops right off. There’s a small window on Saturday morning with a 6ft SSE swell and offshore wind, but it’s small and the energy is weak.

We get a sweet little pulse on Sunday, September 6th, with a 6ft SW swell that has a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light offshore in the morning, making for clean, lined-up waves. The energy is 1877, so it’s got decent push. This is a classic Big Bay day – a long-period SW groundswell with offshore winds. It’ll be a bit shifty and the sets will be widely spaced, but the shape will be excellent. This is a close second to Thursday morning.

After that, from Monday the 7th through to the 10th, it goes flat and poor. The wind is onshore or cross, and the swell is tiny. A real lull.

Then we get a bit of a comeback on Thursday, September 10th. The swell picks up to 6ft from the WSW, period 11 seconds, with light cross-off winds. The energy is 717, so it’s modest, but it’s clean. It’s a small, playful wave for the longboard or a funboard.

The pattern continues into the second week with small, clean, but unremarkable surf. There’s a notable spike on Sunday, September 13th, with a 6ft WSW swell and a 15-second period, giving a big energy reading of 2165, but the wind is onshore, so it’s blown out.

The real keeper for the second week is the very last day, Wednesday, September 16th. We get a solid 8ft SW swell with a long 16-second period, and the combined energy is 2944. The wind is light cross-off and clean. This is a serious, powerful, groundswell on the way out of the window. It’s a long-range call, so it’s less certain, but if it holds, it’s going to be a heavy, clean, world-class day at Big Bay. For the experts only.

To sum it up, the two true standouts are Thursday morning, September 3rd, and Sunday morning, September 6th, in the first week. The second week’s best hope is the final day, Wednesday, September 16th. The rest of the period is either too big and messy, or too small. Don’t be a hero in the middle of the week.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, near gales from the SSE by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the E by Sun night).

Tue
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
5
4
2
4
5
0
2
1
0
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
SW
13
3
SW
14
3
SW
13
3
SW
13
2.3
WSW
13
2.5
SW
12
3.5
S
9
2.5
S
9
2.3
S
9
1.8
S
8
1.7
SSE
8
1.7
SSE
8
1.4
S
10
0.9
SW
20
1.8
SW
17
1.6
SW
16
1.4
SW
14
1.1
WSW
13
1.2
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3208
3688
3169
2682
1700
1829
1822
1148
847
450
373
347
354
563
1774
1179
821
440
462
452
Wind (km/h)
20
SSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
20
SW
15
NE
15
S
45
SSE
35
SSE
30
SE
45
SE
15
SE
20
ESE
10
SE
15
ESE
10
ESE
10
S
10
E
20
NNW
15
NW
10
N
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
5:38PM1.52m
6:02AM1.31m
6:19PM1.41m
6:49AM1.20m
7:11PM1.27m
7:57AM1.08m
8:31PM1.15m
9:47AM1.03m
10:28PM1.12m
11:37AM1.12m
00:03AM1.20m
12:46PM1.27m
1:05AM1.32m
Low Tide
11:55PM0.19m
11:59AM0.28m
00:39AM0.29m
12:46PM0.40m
1:38AM0.41m
1:56PM0.53m
3:14AM0.50m
3:58PM0.59m
5:14AM0.47m
5:54PM0.50m
6:31AM0.35m
7:02PM0.34m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:01
7:01
6:58
6:58
6:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:27
6:28
6:29
6:29
6:30
6:30
6:30
 mm
5
1
Temp °C
14
13
15
16
14
13
15
14
15
19
14
16
22
18
20
24
23
22
19
15
Feels °C
11
11
13
14
13
11
6
6
9
12
10
12
19
14
18
22
21
19
15
14
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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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