
Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,370 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 11AM. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on the next couple of weeks at Big Bay. We’re looking at a solid run of swell, but you’re gonna have to pick your windows carefully because the wind is gonna be a bit of a coin toss at times.
The opening salvos on Thursday the 6th are a bit of a mixed bag. Morning sees a solid 10ft SW swell with a 13-second period punching in, and the cross-off breeze keeps it clean. The energy is strong (3314), but this is proper expert territory—over 8ft and heaving. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so don’t forget a good hood. The afternoon turns a bit more marginal as the wind picks up to 15 mph, still cross-off but the bump starts to creep in.
Friday the 7th is a ripper morning. The swell bumps up to 10ft from the SW, but the period stretches to 14 seconds, giving it some real grunt with a combined energy of 3673. The ENE breeze is light and cross-off, keeping it glassy. This is the standout for the first week—big, clean, powerful waves for the experienced crew. The afternoon is a write-off with a cross-on wind.
Now, Saturday morning the 8th is a gem. The swell drops a touch to 8ft from the SW, but the period’s still 13 seconds, and the wind is dead flat—3 mph from the W, glassy conditions. That’s your best bet for the whole week if you’re after clean, powerful lines without the howling wind. The energy’s still strong (2221). The afternoon gets messy with a cross-on 9 mph breeze.
Sunday the 9th is a no-go for paddling. We’ve got 12ft swell, but the wind is screaming 25 mph from the SSE. That’s kite territory, not surf. The energy is massive (3349), but it’s gonna be a washing machine. Monday and Tuesday (10th and 11th) see the swell drop to 6ft and 6ft, with cleaner conditions. Tuesday morning’s actually pretty good—light E breeze, 6ft SW swell, 12-second period, and clean surf (1052 energy). Worth a look for a fun session.
Wednesday the 12th is a sneaky good one. The swell is 6ft, but the period jumps to 18 seconds—that’s a serious groundswell. For a beach break like Big Bay, that long period might make it a bit too straight, but the energy is still strong (2163), and the light ENE cross-off keeps it clean. Thursday the 13th stays clean with a 7ft SW swell and 16-second period, light NE breeze.
The second week gets a bit more interesting. Sunday the 16th is small and clean but nothing special. Then Monday the 17th brings a pulse—10ft SW swell, 15-second period, and only a light NW cross-on breeze. The energy is huge (4467), but it’s a light cross-on, so it’ll have a bit of texture. Still, for the experienced crew, that’s a promising day—just keep an eye on the wind.
Wednesday the 19th looks like the best of the later run. The swell is 7ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, and the wind is a light 3 mph from the S, cross-off and clean. The energy is strong (1713), and it’s a solid window for those who can handle it. The rest of the week into the 21st is a mix of fresh onshore winds and messy conditions, so that Wednesday is your target.
There’s a bit of a gap in the middle of the second week, but overall, there’s plenty of swell to chase. Just remember, Big Bay is exposed and fairly consistent, so it stays on the menu. The best of the best is Saturday morning the 8th for the glass, and Wednesday the 19th for the late run. Stay safe out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | WSW 21 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3314 | 3318 | 3135 | 3673 | 4370 | 3397 | 2221 | 3893 | 4041 | 3349 | 3235 | 1913 | 729 | 782 | 1821 | 985 | 603 | 1733 | 2009 | 2113 | 2110 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:13PM1.62m | 3:29AM1.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:01AM0.02m | 9:27PM0.05m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | |
mm | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | WSW 21 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
3314 | 3318 | 3135 | 3673 | 4370 | 3397 | 2221 | 3893 | 4041 | 3349 | — | 1913 | 729 | 453 | 1821 | 985 | 603 | 1733 | 2009 | 2113 | 2110 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | SSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 24 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 10 | SW 20 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | 201 | 75 | 40 | 292 | 238 | 143 | 61 | 769 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 10 | SE 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | 39 | 98 | 11 | 49 | 46 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | — | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3235 | — | 533 | 782 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 340 | 598 | 2803 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.











