Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Bay sea temperature is
13.5° C
1.9° 

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 18 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 4,013 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s 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 (Jul 18) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. 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 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Sat 18th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 9s
Best Surf 2AM (Fri 24th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 16s
Most Powerful 2AM (Fri 24th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s cooking at Big Bay over the next couple of weeks. This spot’s exposed to the southwest, so it’s going to see a solid run of south-west groundswells, and the water temp is sitting about average for this time of year – nothing weird. The crowd factor is “often” here, so expect some company, but the quality on offer will be worth it.

We kick off Saturday morning, July 18 with a clean 4.6 ft SW swell, period 9 seconds, and glassy conditions – that’s a nice start. The afternoon drops a bit but stays clean with a 3.3 ft SW swell and 13s period, though the wind flips onshore. Sunday morning gets choppy with a cross-onshore breeze, but Sunday afternoon turns it around: 5.2 ft SW, 11s, cross-offshore wind, clean. That’s a good session. Monday morning, July 20, glassy again with 5.6 ft SW, 9s period – clean lines, easy paddling. Monday afternoon gets a bit cross-shore and the period drops to 8s, so less punchy.

Now Tuesday morning, July 21 – that’s a standout. Glassy calm, 5.6 ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is 1189 (moderate to strong). Excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The swell’s not too big, but that long period will make for some proper walls. The afternoon picks up to 6.9 ft, but the wind goes onshore, so morning’s the call.

Wednesday, July 22 is a write-off: 9.8 ft SW swell, but strong cross-onshore winds, choppy, poor. Not worth paddling out. Thursday morning, July 23, still 7.2 ft but cross-onshore, then the afternoon drops to 3.6 ft with a 18-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell, but the wind is onshore, so it’s messy. The long period might make it break too straight here, and the energy is high (1848) but the wind kills it.

Now here’s the big one: Friday, July 24. Both morning and afternoon are exceptional for expert surfers. 11.5 ft SW swell, 15-second period, combined energy over 5000 – that’s strong to very strong. The wind is light cross-offshore, clean. This is a serious swell, only for those who know what they’re doing. If you’re experienced, this is the best on offer in the whole outlook. The swell direction matches the optimum SW, and the consistency is fairly consistent, so you’ll get plenty of sets. Expect crowds – it’s worth it.

Saturday, July 25 follows with a 8.2 ft SW swell, 13s, offshore wind in the morning, glassy in the afternoon. Another excellent day for experienced surfers, a bit smaller than Friday but still solid. Combined energy 2692 – strong. Morning is the pick for clean offshore lines.

Sunday, July 26 sees the swell dropping to 6.9 ft, 14s, but the wind picks up to 15-19 mph cross-offshore – cleaner than it sounds, but the energy is still high (2267). It’s a marginal call with that breeze. Monday, July 27 brings offshore winds again, 7.5 ft SW, 15s, excellent for experienced surfers. Morning is best with gentle offshore. The afternoon stays clean with 6.9 ft, 14s.

After that, the surf fades. Tuesday, July 28 has onshore winds and 4.9 ft, then even smaller. Wednesday, July 29 offers small 3.6 ft SW swell with cross-offshore

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the NW by Wed afternoon).

Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
2
1
3
4
3
1
2
3
3
3
0
0
2
3
3
5
4
5
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
9
1
SW
13
1.4
SW
12
1.3
SW
12
1.6
SW
11
2
SW
11
1.7
SW
9
0.9
SW
10
0.7
SW
16
1.4
SW
14
1.9
SW
13
2.5
SW
13
3
SW
12
3
SW
12
2.4
WSW
12
2.2
SW
11
2.1
SW
11
3
SW
16
2.5
SW
14
3
SW
13
3
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
307
315
574
503
574
915
481
177
258
777
1280
1969
2802
2180
1597
1151
1103
4013
2657
3066
2636
Wind (km/h)
5
NW
5
W
10
NNW
10
NNW
5
SSW
5
ESE
0
W
10
SW
5
ESE
0
NNW
10
W
15
NNE
25
N
30
NW
15
NNE
15
N
10
W
5
SSE
10
SSE
15
SSE
10
ESE
Wind State
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross
glassy
glassy
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
6:19PM1.52m
6:38AM1.28m
7:01PM1.42m
7:23AM1.17m
7:45PM1.31m
8:15AM1.07m
8:37PM1.19m
9:22AM1.00m
9:43PM1.11m
10:48AM0.98m
11:05PM1.08m
12:11PM1.02m
00:19AM1.11m
Low Tide
12:00PM0.16m
00:39AM0.23m
12:39PM0.27m
1:24AM0.33m
1:21PM0.39m
2:14AM0.43m
2:09PM0.51m
3:14AM0.51m
3:14PM0.60m
4:34AM0.55m
4:48PM0.64m
5:57AM0.53m
6:16PM0.61m
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:47
7:47
7:46
7:46
7:45
7:45
7:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
5:59
6:00
6:00
 mm
Temp °C
16
17
15
15
15
15
14
15
14
14
16
14
14
16
14
15
16
15
15
17
16
Feels °C
16
16
15
13
14
15
14
13
13
14
14
13
9
11
10
13
14
15
13
15
14
  • 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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