Surf Forecasts:
Big Bay surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 7,701 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. 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 4.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Big Bay over the next couple of weeks.
It’s a bit of a slow start, but hang in there. The first real chance to get wet won’t be until Wednesday afternoon, the 15th of July. We’ve got a clean 8ft SW groundswell rolling in with a period of 16 seconds, and the wind is glassy. That’s a proper setup for the experienced crew. The water is sitting at 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget the extra rubber.
The standout window is that Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday morning, the 16th. Thursday morning keeps it glassy, still 8ft from the SW, dropping to a 13-second period. The combined energy is pumping at 2381, so there’s plenty of push. This is the best on offer – clean, powerful, and lined up. Just be aware, at this size, it’s for the experts only.
The rest of the week is a bit mixed. Friday morning, the 17th, sees a 7ft SW swell with offshore SE wind, keeping things clean, but the energy is backing off a bit (897). Saturday morning, the 18th, is glassy with a small 3ft SW groundswell – a good one for the beginners to get out, but it’s mellow.
Then the big one shows up. Around Tuesday the 21st, we start seeing some serious size. We’re talking 13ft SW groundswells with a very long 15-second period, and combined energy readings over 7000. That’s a lot of water moving. The problem is, the wind is onshore or cross-on, making it messy. By Thursday the 23rd and into the weekend, we’re looking at 15ft monsters. The wind does clean up on Saturday the 25th – glassy conditions with a 15ft SW groundswell, energy at 9163. That’s massive. It’s an expert-only playground, and at that size, it’s probably going to be too big for the break to handle properly, closing out.
The very end of the period, Monday the 28th, looks promising with a 12ft SW groundswell and offshore E wind, making for clean conditions for the pros. After that, the wind turns nasty on the 29th, so we’ll call it a wrap.
Bottom line: Wednesday afternoon the 15th and Thursday morning the 16th are your best bets for clean, powerful waves. The following week is all about big, unruly swell for the brave and the skilled.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 156 | 132 | 963 | 3040 | 3558 | 2381 | 1671 | 1249 | 897 | 677 | 261 | 224 | 1110 | 1607 | 1444 | 1226 | 952 | 973 | 777 | 2899 | 7372 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:27PM1.56m | 3:42AM1.56m | 4:12PM1.61m | 4:28AM1.54m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:38PM0.10m | 9:58AM-0.00m | 10:25PM0.08m | 10:40AM0.01m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  | | | |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 |
 | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | 5:59 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 10 | S 11 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 156 | 132 | 963 | 3040 | 3558 | 2381 | 1671 | 1249 | 897 | 677 | 261 | 191 | 1110 | 1607 | 1444 | 1226 | 952 | 973 | 777 | 2899 | 7372 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 18 | WSW 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | S 11 | S 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | — |
| kJ | 56 | 108 | 135 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 135 | 88 | 146 | 53 | 119 | 106 | 94 | 66 | 60 | 40 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SW 12 | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | SW 14 | — | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 16 | — | WSW 12 | — |
| kJ | 24 | 52 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 51 | 224 | — | — | 19 | 8 | 7 | 10 | — | 14 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 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.
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