Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,186 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 5AM (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 Monday (Aug 31) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 12s 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what Big Bay’s got in store for you over the next couple of weeks. First thing – the water’s running at 56°F, which is a solid 4°F colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a noticeable chill, so make sure your rubber’s thick enough.
Things kick off on Saturday afternoon, August 29th, with a 5ft swell from the WSW. The wind’s a cross-off out of the south at 12 mph, and the wave energy is a strong 1330. It’s clean, but nothing to get too excited about.
Sunday morning, August 30th, the swell jumps to 8ft from the SW, with energy climbing to 2146. The wind picks up a bit to 16 mph from the SSE – still cross-off. That’s a solid session, but it’s getting big enough that beginners will want to sit this one out. The afternoon drops back slightly to 8ft.
Monday morning, August 31st looks promising – 7ft of SW swell with an 11-second period, energy at 1019, and a light cross-off breeze at 9 mph. The surface will be clean, making for a good morning paddle.
Tuesday, September 1st brings another day of 8ft SW swell. The morning has a 13-second groundswell period and energy at 2063, but there’s a light cross-breeze that’ll put a few ripples on the face. The afternoon cleans up with a 9 mph cross-off.
The real standout is Wednesday morning, September 2nd. We’re talking a solid 10ft SW swell, a long 14-second period, and massive wave energy at 3488. The wind is a light 6 mph from the SSE, giving you clean cross-off conditions. This is big, powerful stuff – excellent for experienced surfers only. If you’ve got the skills, this is the session to be out there.
Thursday, September 3rd is a total washout with strong southerly winds at 28 mph. Friday, September 4th sees a change with offshore winds from the SE at 16 to 22 mph and a 6ft SSW swell. That’ll be clean and hollow, but the wind is on the strong side.
After that, the swell drops off. Saturday and Sunday sizes fall under 5ft. Through the middle of the week, from Monday September 7th, the swell fluctuates between 3ft and 6ft. There’s a little spike on Friday, September 11th with a 8ft WSW swell and energy at 3664 in the afternoon, and Saturday morning September 12th holds at 8ft SW with a 14-second period and energy at 2124. Both have light cross-off winds – good, but not quite as epic as that Wednesday morning.
Big Bay is a fairly consistent spot overall. You’ll have gaps – especially around the 3rd – but the run from the 29th through to the 2nd of September will keep you in the water. Crowds are likely, so expect some company when it’s pumping. For the best of the best, get yourself to Big Bay on Wednesday morning September 2nd – 10ft SW swell, light wind, and massive energy. That’s the one to circle.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | S 8 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 805 | 2101 | 1821 | 1158 | 1019 | 771 | 1237 | 2031 | 2561 | 4186 | 3499 | 3020 | 2154 | 980 | 659 | 448 | 626 | 493 | 368 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 4:16AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.63m | 4:48AM1.47m | 5:03PM1.59m | 5:23AM1.41m | 5:38PM1.52m | 6:02AM1.31m | 6:19PM1.41m | 6:49AM1.20m | 7:11PM1.27m | 7:57AM1.08m | 8:31PM1.15m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:46PM0.40m | 1:38AM0.41m | 1:56PM0.53m | 3:14AM0.50m | ||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | | | | | |
 | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | 6:24 | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 702 | 2101 | 1821 | 1158 | 1019 | 771 | 1237 | 2031 | 2561 | 4186 | 3499 | 3020 | 2154 | 980 | 655 | 368 | 626 | 493 | 368 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 805 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 53 | — | 18 | 18 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 5 | — | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 5 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | — | 11 | 9 | 65 | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 90 | 482 | 659 | 448 | 298 | 316 | 276 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 70 | 70 | 340 | 50 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 455 | 664 | 1026 | 1224 | 2803 | 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.
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