Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 5,735 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 12s 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 25) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 13s. 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 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of south-west groundswell lining up for Big Bay, but it’s not all smooth sailing. This is a spot that can handle a proper swell, and we’re looking at a stretch of solid, clean surf, especially for the experienced crew. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget the rubber.
The action kicks off Saturday morning, the 25th of July. Big Bay is cleaning up nicely with a 7ft south-west swell at 13 seconds, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. The wave energy is solid (1961), and it’s clean. This is a strong, powerful wave – definitely for the intermediate to advanced surfer. Saturday afternoon sees the swell bumping up to 8ft, same clean conditions, but the energy is still there (1814).
Sunday morning, the 26th, is a standout. The swell drops a touch to 7ft from the south-west, but the wind goes glassy from the east. Absolute perfection. The wave energy is right up there (1398), and with that 12-second period, you’re getting proper lines. This is the best on offer in the first week. Sunday afternoon holds clean with a 6ft swell and a light cross-off.
Monday the 27th sees the swell jump back to 8ft with a 16-second period, but the wind kicks up to 22 mph from the southeast. The energy is huge (3253), but it’s a messy, cross-off wind. For the experienced surfer, there will be bombs, but you’ll be fighting the wind. Tuesday the 28th is a different story: offshore winds from the southeast and east, with a solid 8ft south-west swell (2526). That’s a clean, powerful day.
We’ve got a drop in size mid-week, with Wednesday the 29th through to Friday the 31st offering smaller, cleaner waves (5ft to 4ft), perfect for a longer board or a more relaxed session. The wind is light or glassy.
Now, the second week. The 2nd of August brings a new pulse – a 7ft south-west swell with a 16-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore from the west. It’s a bit messy. The real standout in the second week is Monday the 3rd of August. Glassy conditions, 8ft south-west swell at 14 seconds, and wave energy of 2216. That’s a cracking morning for anyone who can handle it.
Things get big and tricky from the 5th of August onwards. We’re looking at 10ft south-west and west-south-west swells, but the wind is mostly cross-onshore, often strong, and the wave energy is huge (up to 5698). The 7th of August, Friday morning, is a wild card: a 10ft west-south-west swell with a light south wind, providing clean conditions. That’s big, powerful, and for experts only. The rest of that week is choppy and messy.
Overall, the best windows are Sunday the 26th of July and Tuesday the 28th of July, with Monday the 3rd of August as a strong, promising call in the second week. The early part of the forecast is where the real quality is.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, strong winds from the SSE by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1583 | 1789 | 1632 | 1172 | 977 | 796 | 3253 | 3759 | 2814 | 2247 | 2171 | 1736 | 1050 | 946 | 772 | 772 | 796 | 683 | 528 | 403 | 278 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross | off |
High Tide | 1:10PM1.09m | 1:14AM1.17m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:56AM1.25m | 2:29PM1.27m | 2:33AM1.32m | 3:02PM1.36m | 3:06AM1.38m | 3:33PM1.43m | 3:38AM1.41m | 4:03PM1.49m | 4:09AM1.43m | 4:33PM1.52m | 4:41AM1.42m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:16PM0.54m | 7:43AM0.38m | 7:59PM0.45m | 8:20AM0.30m | 8:36PM0.38m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:09PM0.31m | 9:22AM0.17m | 9:40PM0.25m | 9:50AM0.13m | 10:11PM0.22m | 10:18AM0.12m | 10:42PM0.20m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — |
 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 1583 | 1789 | 1632 | 1172 | 977 | 796 | 3253 | 3759 | 2814 | 2247 | 2171 | 1736 | 1050 | 946 | 772 | 772 | 796 | 683 | 528 | 403 | 278 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | — | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | — | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | — | SSE 6 | — | — | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SW 18 | WSW 16 |
| kJ | 378 | 25 | — | 226 | 220 | 412 | — | — | — | — | 155 | 117 | 36 | — | 4 | — | — | 5 | 6 | 12 | 50 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 11 | SSW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | WSW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 36 | 195 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 50 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 3 | S 5 | S 4 | S 7 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 5 | 61 | 28 | 672 | 355 | 279 | 272 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 221 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Town | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Big Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest