Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 10 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Bay sea temperature is
13.6°C
1.9° 

Big Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Big Bay surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,968 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 12s 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.8m and 7s is also forecast. 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 16) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Fri 11th Sep)6ft (1.8m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Sat 12th Sep)8ft (2.4m) 16s
Most Powerful 8AM (Wed 16th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ down the line.

Alright, so the next couple of weeks are bringin’ a solid run of SW swell to Big Bay, but you gotta pick your moments. The water’s sittin’ at 57°, which is about 3° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a bit of a bite, so don’t be shy with the rubber.

Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are a bit of a tease: clean wave faces from a cross-off breeze, but the reports are callin’ it marginal, so nothin’ to get too excited about. Saturday the 12th afternoon pumps a bit more size with 8ft from the SW, and that combined wave energy jumps to 3411 – solid, moderate to strong stuff. Still, that cross-off wind keeps it from bein’ perfect.

Now, Sunday the 13th morning is where it starts to get real. You’ve got 6ft of SW groundswell with a 14-second period, a light offshore breeze, and the wave energy’s at 1491. Conditions are callin’ excellent for experienced surfers, so if you’ve got the chops, that’s your window. Crowds are likely here, which is no surprise for a spot that can handle this kind of direction.

We hit a rough patch Monday the 14th through Tuesday the 15th. Strong cross-onshore winds and choppy, lumpy conditions make it a write-off – not worth paddlin' out. If you’re into kites, the setup on Tuesday afternoon with 6ft and a fresh cross-onshore might be more your speed.

Wednesday the 16th sees a return of clean conditions with a stiff cross-off breeze, and the swell builds to 12ft in the afternoon – that’s big and gnarly, combined energy over 3874, definitely expert-only territory. The short 13-second period on that size will make it a handful at a beach setup like this.

A nice little window opens Thursday the 17th morning: glassy light offshore, 5ft SW swell, clean lines, and very good conditions. The energy is moderate at 906, but the quality should be there. That holds into Friday the 18th morning with similar vibes, though smaller.

The standout for the whole outlook? Saturday the 19th. Glassy conditions in the morning with 7ft of WSW groundswell at a long 16 seconds – combined energy of 1959. That’s strong, clean, and experienced-level fun all morning. The offshore wind in the afternoon keeps it tidy, too. If you can only paddle out one day, that’s the one.

Sunday the 20th gets bigger again, 8ft to 10ft, but the wind picks up fresh, so it’s less appealing. Monday the 21st though, offers another quality session: clean, moderate offshore wind, with 7ft SW at 14 seconds – energy at 2905. Excellent again for the experienced crew.

After that, the surf drops off through the end of the week into the 25th, with smaller, clean but lower-energy days. The final spark is on Friday the 25th afternoon: a glassy, light wind session with 4ft SW swell and a 13-second period, but the energy jumps back up to 1195 – promising for a little late-season reward. Just watch for those rain showers.

Summin’ it up: Sunday 13th morning and Saturday 19th are your best bets for quality, clean waves. Don’t sleep on Thursday 17th either. The rest is either too windy, too big, or just not quite there.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, strong winds from the NW by Tue afternoon).

Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
3
3
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.4
SW
15
2.2
WSW
13
2
WSW
13
1.7
WSW
12
1.6
WSW
12
1.3
WSW
12
1.9
SW
14
2.4
SW
17
2.3
SW
15
1.9
SW
14
1.6
SW
14
1.4
SW
13
1.2
SW
12
1.1
SW
12
1
SW
12
0.7
SW
19
1.7
SW
17
3
WSW
15
2.3
SW
14
3.5
SW
13
2.3
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2328
1672
1321
830
680
414
1500
3134
2178
1403
947
673
430
349
254
380
1677
4580
2066
3874
1602
Wind (km/h)
15
S
25
S
20
SSE
15
SSE
25
SSE
20
SE
15
SE
25
SSE
20
SE
10
SE
15
S
15
NW
25
N
25
NW
25
N
35
NNW
40
NW
15
S
35
SSE
30
SSE
15
SE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
2:51PM1.66m
3:10AM1.55m
3:25PM1.70m
3:44AM1.55m
3:58PM1.68m
4:17AM1.52m
4:29PM1.62m
4:48AM1.45m
4:59PM1.52m
5:18AM1.35m
5:29PM1.40m
5:49AM1.24m
6:00PM1.27m
Low Tide
8:41AM0.05m
9:08PM0.01m
9:15AM0.02m
9:42PM-0.01m
9:48AM0.03m
10:15PM0.01m
10:19AM0.08m
10:45PM0.07m
10:49AM0.16m
11:15PM0.17m
11:18AM0.26m
11:44PM0.28m
11:48AM0.38m
00:15AM0.41m
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
heavy rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:50
6:50
6:48
6:47
6:46
6:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:32
6:34
6:35
6:36
6:36
6:37
6:37
 mm
3
12
11
Temp °C
17
18
15
17
21
17
18
18
16
21
24
19
16
19
15
17
17
15
15
15
14
Feels °C
15
15
12
14
18
14
16
15
13
20
22
20
12
14
10
11
10
9
6
6
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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