
Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 3,104 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
Alright, let’s look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks. This is a long-range forecast, so keep that in mind.
We’ve got a promising start, but it’s for the experienced crew only. The swell is just too big for beginners right now. Thursday morning, we’re looking at a solid 10-foot SW groundswell, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a lot of energy in the water. The wind is cross-offshore from the SSE at 9 mph, so it’s clean. This is a proper, powerful, long-period swell, so it’ll come in sets with plenty of push. Big Bay is exposed, so it’ll be handling all that energy. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.
Friday morning looks like a standout. The swell drops slightly to 8 feet from the SSW, still pumping at 13 seconds. The wind goes offshore from the SE at 9 mph, which is a major positive. It’s going to be clean and lined up. This is excellent for experienced surfers, with good shape and power.
Saturday morning is another good one. The swell is down to a more manageable 7 feet from the SSW, period 12 seconds, with a light offshore breeze from the ESE at 6 mph. Conditions are clean and the surf will be excellent. This is a great window for the intermediate crew as well, as the size is more approachable.
Sunday morning the swell drops to 5 feet, still a clean SSW groundswell with an 11-second period. The wind is light offshore from the ESE at 3 mph. This is a very good, clean option for all skill levels.
After that, the swell fades quickly. Monday and Tuesday are small, with waves around 2 feet to 3 feet. Not much to write home about.
Then we get a bit of a lull mid-week. Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th see building swell, but the wind is all wrong. Wednesday is cross-onshore, making it messy. Thursday the 16th has cross-offshore wind but the wind is strong, with 22 mph gusts in the afternoon, making it pretty wild.
Friday the 17th looks like a solid return. The swell is back up to 7 feet from the SW, with a 12-second period. The wind is offshore from the ESE at 6 mph. This is clean, powerful, and excellent for experienced surfers. A real high point in the second week.
Now, the real big one is coming a week later, on Thursday the 23rd of July. The models are showing a massive 16 to 18-foot SW groundswell, with a very long period of 17 to 18 seconds. The energy values are off the charts. The wind is light and favorable. But here’s the thing: this is way too big for Big Bay. It’s predicted to be a problem. It’s only for the absolute top-tier experts, and even then, it’s a serious call. A long-period swell of that size will be incredibly powerful, and at a beach break, it could be a washing machine. This is a promising, but very uncertain, long-range outlook.
So, to sum it up: the best bets are Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th in the first week, and Friday the 17th in the second week. Keep an eye on that massive swell for the 23rd, but don’t get your hopes up too high for a clean ride.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wed 15 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3093 | 2847 | 2598 | 2713 | 2386 | 2056 | 1258 | 1177 | 1000 | 704 | 485 | 324 | 135 | 114 | 93 | 96 | 89 | 81 | 108 | 255 | 455 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:26PM1.29m | 10:21AM1.10m | 10:42PM1.29m | 11:40AM1.15m | 11:57PM1.34m | 12:49PM1.25m | 1:03AM1.41m | 1:48PM1.36m | 2:02AM1.49m | 2:40PM1.47m | 2:54AM1.55m | 3:27PM1.56m | 3:42AM1.56m | 4:12PM1.61m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:03AM0.39m | 4:12PM0.49m | 5:22AM0.34m | 5:37PM0.45m | 6:34AM0.26m | 6:51PM0.37m | 7:34AM0.17m | 7:53PM0.26m | 8:26AM0.08m | 8:48PM0.17m | 9:14AM0.02m | 9:38PM0.10m | 9:58AM-0.00m | ||||||||
— | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | |
5:51 | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 16 | WSW 15 |
3093 | 2847 | 2598 | 2713 | 2386 | 2056 | 1258 | 1177 | 1000 | 704 | 485 | 324 | 135 | 114 | 93 | 96 | 89 | 81 | 78 | 255 | 455 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | — | — | SW 13 | W 14 | W 13 | S 7 | W 11 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 10 | S 6 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 9 | W 9 |
14 | — | — | 892 | 37 | 82 | 97 | 152 | 166 | 163 | 149 | 110 | 92 | 57 | 67 | 18 | 82 | 53 | 53 | 74 | 76 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 10 | W 10 | S 6 | SSW 10 | SSE 6 | S 9 | SW 18 | W 11 | W 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 136 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 41 | 37 | 96 | 47 | 18 | 38 | 13 | 23 | 108 | 66 | 88 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 5 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 48 | — | 141 | 133 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 0 | 340 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
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.











