Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 09 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Bay sea temperature is
13.3° C
2.1° 

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 9 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 3,568 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period with S 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 14s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 11s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Big Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 7s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Mon 10th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 10s
Best Surf 8PM (Mon 10th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 10s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 9th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple of days are going to test your patience if you’re chasing waves. We’ve got a rough start with a big, messy swell and a strong breeze that’s going to make things tough. Honestly, for Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th, I’d probably find something else to do. It’s big, it’s raw, and the wind is just going to chop it all up. Not worth the beating.

The first real window where things start to clean up is Tuesday the 11th. The wind eases off and turns offshore, and that makes a huge difference. We’re looking at waves in the 5.2ft to 6.6ft range, still with that solid SSW groundswell. The energy is moderate, around 1200, but it’s going to be clean. This is where you want to be a competent surfer, not a beginner – the swell is still pushing a bit.

Wednesday the 12th is the standout of this first week. The wind goes glassy in the afternoon, and the swell fills in with a longer period, hitting 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, sitting around 2000. The waves will be around 5.9ft and have some serious push. This is the kind of day that reminds you why we do this. It’s a point break day, not a beach break, because that long period stuff can straighten out on the sand.

Then we get a bit of a lull from Thursday the 13th through to Sunday the 16th. The swell drops, the wind gets a bit messy, and the energy fades. It’s not terrible, but it’s not exciting. If you’re desperate, there’s stuff to ride, but it’s not going to be memorable.

Now, hold on, because the second week starts to rumble. Monday the 17th sees a big pulse of swell, but the wind is onshore, and it’s going to be a bit of a mess. The energy is cranking at 4318, but the quality won’t be there. This is where you might see the kite surfers having a field day, because the paddle surf is going to be challenging.

The real gold is on Tuesday the 18th. The wind swings around to a cross-offshore, the swell is a solid 9.8ft to 11.5ft, and the energy is massive, over 3500. This is big, powerful surf. It's for experienced surfers only. This is the heavy one. The water is going to be moving a lot.

The rest of that week gets blown out and messy. The wind gets really strong on the 19th, and the quality just tanks. We’re looking at a run of poor-to-marginal days.

But don't write it off. The last few days of the window, the 20th and 21st, are looking promising. The 21st is another potential standout. The wind is light and offshore, the swell is back up to a solid 11.5ft, and the period is a strong 13 seconds. The energy is huge, over 4000. This could be a day for the books. It’s a long way out, so we can’t be certain, but the signs are good.

The 23rd has a nice glassy morning with a smaller, cleaner swell, perfect for a more relaxed session.

So, to keep it simple: If you want the best waves, circle Wednesday the 12th and Tuesday the 18th. The 21st is a promise of something special, but we’ll have to wait and see. It’s not going to be easy all the way through, but there’s definitely some gold in there.

The water is running a bit cold for this time of year, about 3.8°F colder than normal, so a decent wetsuit is a must.

Alright, I’ll catch you in the water.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SE by Tue afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
2
2
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
SW
12
3.5
SSW
12
2.5
SSW
11
2.4
SSW
11
2.5
SSW
10
2.4
SSW
14
2
SSW
12
1.6
SSW
12
1.3
WSW
21
1.7
WSW
18
1.8
SW
18
2.1
SW
16
2.4
WSW
18
2.2
WSW
17
1.8
WSW
16
1.7
WSW
15
1.7
WSW
14
1.7
WSW
13
1.7
WSW
14
1.7
WSW
13
1.7
WSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3260
3568
1888
1285
1323
2065
1159
671
1512
1799
1952
2201
3456
2929
1629
1145
1114
1028
1059
998
989
Wind (km/h)
40
SSE
40
SSE
20
SE
30
SE
25
SE
15
ESE
15
E
10
SE
15
E
10
E
5
ESE
15
ENE
20
NE
15
ENE
15
NE
20
NE
15
ENE
10
NNE
15
NNW
10
W
5
NNE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
cross
High Tide
12:48PM1.23m
1:05AM1.35m
1:45PM1.37m
2:00AM1.45m
2:32PM1.51m
2:47AM1.53m
3:13PM1.62m
3:29AM1.57m
3:52PM1.68m
4:09AM1.56m
4:29PM1.69m
4:46AM1.51m
5:05PM1.64m
Low Tide
6:57PM0.39m
7:32AM0.21m
7:55PM0.25m
8:19AM0.10m
8:44PM0.13m
9:01AM0.02m
9:27PM0.05m
9:40AM-0.01m
10:07PM0.02m
10:16AM-0.00m
10:45PM0.03m
10:51AM0.05m
11:22PM0.09m
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:12
6:12
6:13
6:14
6:14
6:15
6:15
 mm
2
Temp °C
12
13
13
13
14
11
12
17
16
17
22
22
23
25
24
24
26
22
17
19
15
Feels °C
8
3
4
6
7
6
8
15
13
13
19
19
18
21
21
19
21
21
14
17
15
  • 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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