Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 7,847 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period with SSW 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 27) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty checkin' in from Big Bay. We've got a solid 16-day window ahead, but it's a bit of a slow starter. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, so don't rush out just yet. The real juice builds through the weekend and into next week, with a couple of absolute standouts that are gonna get the heart pumping.
Right now, Thursday the 27th is a bit of a dud. The water's sitting at 56.5°, which is a couple of degrees cooler than usual for this time of year, so you'll be wanting a thick wetsuit. The swell is a weak 4.6ft from the SSW, with a combined energy of only 749 – pretty weak. And with a cross-on wind, it's just not worth paddling out. Friday the 28th morning is a little tease, with a glassy 2.6ft swell from the WSW, but it's so small you'll be fighting for scraps. The 16-second period does give it a bit of push, though.
The first real highlight comes on Saturday the 29th. The morning session is looking clean with a 4.9ft cross-off wind from the SSW and a moderate 944 combined energy. It's a solid, fun size. Then Sunday the 30th, the morning is the pick of the early run. We've got a 7.9ft swell from the SW, clean with a cross-off SSE wind, and the energy is up to 1798. That's a proper weekend swell, but at 7.9ft, it's getting a bit meaty for the beginners.
The middle of the week, around Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September, is a bit messy with cross-on winds and the swell bouncing around the 6.6ft to 8.2ft mark. The energy spikes on Tuesday afternoon to 1908, but it's blown out. Then Wednesday the 2nd of September is where it gets interesting. The morning sees a 13.1ft SW swell rolling in with a massive 6402 combined energy. That's a serious pulse. The wind is light cross-on, so it's a bit lumpy, but the size is there. This is a big-wave day, only for the experts. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off wind, but it's still 13.1ft with 5602 energy.
Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September keep the size going with 9.8ft to 11.5ft swells from the S and SSW, but the wind is on the stronger side at 19 mph, keeping it in the expert-only zone. The energy is still massive, sitting around 3000 to 3200.
After that, it backs off a bit. The standout for the cleaner, more user-friendly conditions lands on Saturday the 5th of September. The morning session is a dream: 5.6ft of SSW swell, clean offshore wind from the ESE at 9 mph, and a combined energy of 812. It's a perfect, clean, offshore morning. The afternoon stays clean too. Sunday the 6th also has clean conditions, with a 3.0ft groundswell from the WSW, glassy edges, and that super long 16-second period.
The following week, from Monday the 7th through to Wednesday the 9th, is a flat spell. The swell drops to 1.6ft to 3.0ft with poor conditions, so it's a complete write-off. No point even looking.
Then, the final standout of the whole outlook comes on Friday the 11th of September. The afternoon session is firing. An 11.5ft swell from the WSW, offshore wind from the SE at 16 mph, and a combined energy of 3624. The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. That is a proper, powerful, clean groundswell. It's a long way out, so keep an eye on the charts, but it's the one to circle on the calendar.
So, to wrap it up: the best of the best for clean, user-friendly waves is Saturday the 5th of September morning. For the big-wave crew, Wednesday the 2nd of September morning and Friday the 11th of September afternoon are the ones to watch. Stay safe out there.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
480 | 455 | 363 | 280 | 519 | 454 | 866 | 1247 | 805 | 1789 | 1522 | 1215 | 991 | 713 | 533 | 1778 | 1908 | 7462 | 6402 | 5602 | 3415 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:04PM1.52m | 3:14AM1.47m | 3:32PM1.59m | 3:44AM1.50m | 4:01PM1.63m | 4:16AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:23AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | 6:02AM1.31m | 6:19PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:54AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.16m | 9:21AM0.09m | 9:44PM0.10m | 9:49AM0.07m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.07m | 10:45PM0.07m | 10:48AM0.11m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:22AM0.18m | 11:55PM0.19m | 11:59AM0.28m | 00:39AM0.29m | |||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | |
— | 6:23 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 11 |
Temp °C | 21 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 8 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
480 | 455 | 363 | 231 | 519 | 454 | 866 | 1247 | 361 | 1789 | 1522 | 1215 | 991 | 713 | 533 | 1778 | 1908 | 7462 | 6402 | 5602 | 3415 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | WSW 13 | S 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | — | — | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
256 | 186 | 138 | 133 | 171 | 71 | 78 | 61 | 805 | 9 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 326 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | SSE 13 | S 13 | — | — | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
13 | 26 | 126 | 280 | 57 | 51 | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | 167 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 247 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 274 | 0 | 39 | 39 | 0 | 10 | 29 | 2 | 34 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 130 | 598 |
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.











