Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 05 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Bay sea temperature is
13.7° C
1.7° 

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 5 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 4,760 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period with WSW 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 13s period. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Thu 6th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Best Surf 8AM (Thu 6th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sun 9th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 13s

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 a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We’ve got some solid swell in the water, but that wind is going to be messy. Wednesday is looking like a full washout with a strong cross-onshore breeze and junky, lumpy waves. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there. We’re looking at a couple of days of onshore junk before things clean up.

We’re really waiting on Thursday the 6th. That’s when the wind swings around to a light cross-offshore and the swell cleans right up. We’re talking 12ft of WSW groundswell at Big Bay, with a period of 13 seconds. That’s proper, powerful surf. It’s got a lot of energy behind it too, with combined energy readings over 3600. This is big, powerful stuff, so it’s strictly for the experienced crew. The water is also a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 57°F, so a decent hood is a good call.

Friday the 7th looks like the standout of this first run. Morning is looking perfect with light offshore winds and a clean 10ft of SW swell, still with that long 14-second period. The energy is really humming along at 3835. This is that clean, lined-up, quality surf you dream about. The afternoon gets a bit more cross-shore and lumpy, so get your waves in the morning. This is the pick of the first week.

The weekend gets messy again. Saturday is still rideable, but the wind is a bit more cross-shore and it’s not as clean. Sunday the 9th is a complete no-go. That near-gale wind is going to make it a howling mess, even if the swell is pushing 13ft. That’s a stormy, chaotic ocean, and honestly, it’s looking more interesting for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers.

After that, things drop off in size and quality for a while. There’s a few fun windows early next week, but nothing to write home about. Monday the 10th is onshore junky, but Tuesday the 11th swings back offshore with a fun 6ft SSW swell. It’s not big, but it’ll be clean. Wednesday the 12th has a weird, very long period swell (18 seconds) that might make it break a bit too straight at the beach, but it’s worth a look. The rest of that week into the 16th is small and inconsistent, with onshore winds messing things up at times.

The real flagship event is the forecast for the 20th of August. That is a monster. We’re looking at an 18ft WSW swell with a 14-second period and a combined energy reading of over 11,000. That is an enormous amount of power. The wind is light and favorable, but this is way, way too big for Big Bay. It will be a washing machine. This is one for the true experts only, and even then, it might be more of a spectacle than a surf. It’s a long way out, so it’s promising but not a sure thing, but if it hits, it’s going to be a big one.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Wed afternoon, calm by Fri afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, strong winds from the SSE by Sun morning).

Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
5
4
5
5
4
5
4
3
3
0
0
1
2
2
4
4
3
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2
SW
16
2.3
SW
15
3.5
WSW
13
3.5
WSW
13
3
SW
12
3
SW
13
3
SW
14
3.5
SW
14
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
13
3
SW
13
3.5
SW
13
3.5
SW
13
4
SSW
12
2.1
SW
12
1.9
S
10
2.1
S
10
2
SSE
10
1.7
SSW
12
1.4
SSW
12
1.2
SW
20
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1904
2233
4623
3672
3177
3242
3835
4555
3657
2254
2817
4760
3405
4494
1250
687
861
717
890
550
1216
Wind (km/h)
25
NNW
30
NNW
25
NNW
10
SSE
25
SSE
15
SE
10
SE
15
SW
5
SSE
15
S
10
SW
25
S
50
SSE
50
SSE
35
SE
35
SE
35
SE
15
SE
10
ESE
10
E
10
ESE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
7:38PM1.32m
8:20AM1.10m
8:48PM1.23m
9:52AM1.05m
10:22PM1.20m
11:32AM1.10m
11:55PM1.25m
12:48PM1.23m
1:05AM1.35m
1:45PM1.37m
2:00AM1.45m
2:32PM1.51m
2:47AM1.53m
Low Tide
1:11PM0.39m
2:07AM0.39m
2:13PM0.48m
3:28AM0.44m
3:47PM0.55m
5:09AM0.43m
5:37PM0.51m
6:32AM0.33m
6:57PM0.39m
7:32AM0.21m
7:55PM0.25m
8:19AM0.10m
8:44PM0.13m
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
rain showers
mod rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:35
7:33
7:33
7:31
7:31
7:30
7:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:08
6:08
6:09
6:10
6:12
6:12
6:13
 mm
9
1
8
7
1
Temp °C
14
16
13
13
14
11
12
16
13
13
14
14
11
12
12
12
13
11
11
15
14
Feels °C
9
11
9
11
10
6
10
15
11
10
11
13
1
2
3
4
4
4
8
12
10
  • 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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