Big Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.79° S 18.46° E

Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 16 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Bay sea temperature is
13.5° 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 16 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with 5,989 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m 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 4.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Thu 16th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 23rd Jul)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 5AM (Wed 22nd Jul)15ft (4.5m) 13s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, looking at the next 16 days for Big Bay. This spot is an exposed intermediate zone, and it’s in for a proper ride. The water’s a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 56°, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.

We’ve got a building swell story starting right now. Thursday morning, 16 July, is the first real offering. The swell is a solid 8ft out of the SW, with a long 13-second period, and the combined energy is pumping hard at 2381. The wind is glassy, so it’s going to be clean. But at this size, it’s already pushing into expert territory, so only for the experienced crew. The afternoon takes a bit of a dip with a cross breeze, so grab the morning.

Friday morning, 17 July, the swell drops to 6ft from the SW, period still a nice 11 seconds, and energy at 773. Glassy wind again, making for very good conditions. This is a better size for intermediates. Friday afternoon gets cross-shore, so not as good.

Saturday morning, 18 July, we’re down to 5ft SW, 10-second period, but still glassy. It’s a smaller, clean day, good for a longboard or a funboard. The energy is a moderate 643. Saturday afternoon picks up a little cross-on breeze.

Sunday morning, 19 July, is a bit bumpy with a cross-on breeze, but the swell is 5ft SW with a 12-second period and 900 energy. Sunday afternoon saves the day with glassy conditions again on the same size swell. That’s your pick for the weekend.

Monday and Tuesday are a write-off. Monday morning has a tiny 3ft swell, then Tuesday gets hammered by a strong 22-25 mph wind, with a massive 13ft WSW swell on Tuesday afternoon and energy screaming up to 5222. That’s a no-go for surfing, looks more like a kite session.

The real standout is Thursday, 23 July. The morning is too big at 15ft SW, but the afternoon is the magic window. The swell drops to 13ft SW, same 14-second period, the wind goes glassy, and the energy is a massive 6802. The file says it’s exceptional for expert surfers, and trust me, that’s the one to circle. Still, that’s only for the big-wave chargers.

Then we get to Saturday, 25 July. This is the absolute best on offer. The morning is a dream: 13ft SW, a very long 17-second period, glassy cross-off wind, and the energy is an insane 9408. This is a once-in-a-forecast kind of setup. The swell direction matches the optimum SW, and the wind is clean. This is a world-class day for experts at Big Bay. The afternoon picks up a stronger breeze, so get in early.

The following week, from 26 July, we see a steady drop in size. Sunday and Monday have 8ft to 6ft SW swell, with clean cross-off winds and moderate energy. Good for experienced surfers, but nothing like the 25th.

Wednesday, 29 July, has a small 6ft set with zero wind in the morning, glassy as a mirror. A nice easy day.

The last few days of the month fade out with small, weak swell and some stronger winds, so it’s a quiet end to the outlook.

The big call: Saturday, 25 July morning is the holy grail of this window. Huge, clean, powerful. If you can handle it, that’s the session.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Tue night).

Thu
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
3
2
2
3
3
2
1
2
3
3
1
2
3
1
0
0
0
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.3
SW
13
2.1
SW
12
1.8
SW
11
1.7
SW
11
1.4
SW
10
1.4
SW
9
1
SW
13
1.3
SW
12
1.6
SW
12
1.8
SW
11
1.8
SW
11
1.4
SSW
9
1
SW
9
0.7
SW
16
1.7
SW
14
1.9
SW
13
4
SW
12
4
WSW
13
3.5
WSW
13
2.5
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1671
1169
773
635
377
321
310
465
711
743
716
333
156
258
1170
1242
4401
5664
4112
1928
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
5
ESE
5
S
10
SSW
5
ESE
5
N
5
W
10
NNW
15
NNW
10
SSW
5
ESE
0
SW
10
WSW
5
NNE
5
N
20
NNW
35
NNW
25
NW
25
NNW
10
NNE
Wind State
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
4:55PM1.63m
5:12AM1.48m
5:37PM1.59m
5:55AM1.39m
6:19PM1.52m
6:38AM1.28m
7:01PM1.42m
7:23AM1.17m
7:45PM1.31m
8:15AM1.07m
8:37PM1.19m
9:22AM1.00m
9:43PM1.11m
Low Tide
11:11PM0.09m
11:20AM0.07m
11:55PM0.15m
12:00PM0.16m
00:39AM0.23m
12:39PM0.27m
1:24AM0.33m
1:21PM0.39m
2:14AM0.43m
2:09PM0.51m
3:14AM0.51m
3:14PM0.60m
4:34AM0.55m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
rain showers
light rain
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:48
7:47
7:47
7:46
7:46
7:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:54
5:55
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
5:59
 mm
2
2
Temp °C
15
14
15
17
16
16
17
16
15
15
15
13
14
13
14
15
14
15
16
16
Feels °C
14
14
15
17
16
16
16
16
13
14
14
12
12
12
12
12
10
11
11
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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