Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 5,529 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. 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 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Big Bay over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag to start. The first real action kicks off on Wednesday the 15th of July. The morning is a bit average with a small, long-period 4ft swell from the WSW and a bit of a cross-on breeze, making it look a little messy. But hang in there, because Wednesday afternoon is where it starts to get interesting. The swell jumps to 8ft from the SW, with a 16-second period, and it goes glassy. That’s serious energy coming in (3150) and the conditions will be clean. That’s a proper session for experienced surfers.
Thursday the 16th keeps that energy going with an 8ft SW swell in the morning, and it’s glassy again. The wind holds off and you’ll be looking at a clean, solid 8ft wave. The afternoon sees the same swell size but a cross-shore breeze messes with the surface a bit.
Friday the 17th is a good morning with a 7ft SW swell and offshore ESE winds. The waves will be clean and well-shaped, a solid intermediate option. The period is at 11 seconds, so plenty of push.
The standout of the first week, and honestly one of the best on offer, is Tuesday the 21st of July. The morning brings a huge 12ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period, and it’s absolutely glassy. That’s a massive 5544 energy reading. This is big, powerful, and clean. Only for experts, but if you’ve got the nerve, it’s going to be world-class. The afternoon gets a bit messy with an onshore wind, so get it early.
We get a bit of a lull after that. Wednesday the 22nd is a write-off with strong, messy winds and lumpy conditions. The swell drops but the wind is a problem.
Then the second week ramps up again. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th see another pulse of 10ft to 13ft SW swell, but the wind is cross-off or cross-on, so it’s not as perfect as the Tuesday. The energy is still huge (up to 5966). It’s surfable, but you’ll be dealing with some wind texture.
The absolute best of the whole forecast, without a doubt, is Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning is a dream: 13ft of SW groundswell, 15-second period, glassy conditions, and a whopping 7031 energy reading. That’s about as good as it gets for a big-wave spot. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-shore, but the morning is the one to aim for. This is an expert-only zone, and it will be firing.
The 30th of July also looks excellent with an 12ft SW swell and clean cross-off winds.
So, to sum it up: the standout days are the mornings of July 21st and July 29th. The 21st is a massive, glassy groundswell, and the 29th is even bigger and just as clean. Don’t sleep on the 15th and 16th afternoons either for solid, clean waves. Crowds are often here, so expect company on the good days.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri night, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tue 21 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 132 | 963 | 3040 | 3558 | 2381 | 1671 | 1169 | 897 | 623 | 377 | 257 | 398 | 772 | 736 | 807 | 806 | 923 | 785 | 2111 | 5520 | 5161 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on |
High Tide | 3:42AM1.56m | 4:12PM1.61m | 4:28AM1.54m | 4:55PM1.63m | 5:12AM1.48m | 5:37PM1.59m | 5:55AM1.39m | 6:19PM1.52m | 6:38AM1.28m | 7:01PM1.42m | 7:23AM1.17m | 7:45PM1.31m | 8:15AM1.07m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:38PM0.10m | 9:58AM-0.00m | 10:25PM0.08m | 10:40AM0.01m | 11:11PM0.09m | 11:20AM0.07m | 11:55PM0.15m | 12:00PM0.16m | 00:39AM0.23m | 12:39PM0.27m | 1:24AM0.33m | 1:21PM0.39m | 2:14AM0.43m | 2:09PM0.51m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — |
 | 5:53 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | S 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 132 | 963 | 3040 | 3558 | 2381 | 1671 | 1169 | 897 | 623 | 377 | 151 | 398 | 772 | 736 | 807 | 806 | 923 | 785 | 2111 | 5520 | 5161 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WSW 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | S 13 | WSW 9 | S 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | — |
| kJ | 108 | 135 | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 51 | 121 | 110 | 256 | 403 | 181 | 121 | 116 | 85 | 56 | 24 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | WSW 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 16 | WSW 14 | W 9 | — | — |
| kJ | 52 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | 257 | 86 | 50 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 39 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
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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