Surf Forecasts:
Big Ben surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, S swell with 573 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Big Ben this week:
The surf forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Big Ben in the next 16 days are 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at what’s coming down the line for Big Ben, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – this is a tough block of surf. We’ve got a serious run of poor conditions for the next couple of weeks, but there is one absolute ripper of a window that pops up right at the tail end of the forecast. For now, it’s all about waiting.
We kick off on Friday the 28th of August with some size – 5.9ft of short-period, weak SW swell – but the wind is a messy cross-off at 22 mph. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 82.6°F, but that won’t matter because the surf looks lacklustre. The combined energy is moderate (465). There’s nothing for it on Saturday or Sunday either – we drop to tiny 2.0ft and 1.6ft with poor winds, getting a few light breezes on Sunday morning but the swell is barely a pulse. That pattern of small, weak easterly windswell with cross and cross-on winds drags on through Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the first week. There’s a brief uptick on Tuesday the 1st of September with a 3.3ft to 3.9ft easterly swell and some light onshore wind, but the energy is moderate (386-544) and the surf is just marginal at best. Honestly, it’s a write-off for paddle surfing through this whole patch.
We slide into the second week, and it doesn’t get much better. Thursday the 3rd of September shows a 3.9ft SSW swell with moderate energy (565) but stiff cross-onshore winds. Friday the 4th is a total washout with 22 mph cross winds. The weekend of the 5th and 6th offers nothing special – slight hope on the Saturday afternoon with a 4.6ft easterly pulse and lighter cross-off wind, but the period is a weak 6 seconds. The combined energy (281) is weak. It’s just bleak.
Now, hang on – here’s where it gets interesting. The real story is Thursday the 10th of September through to Saturday the 12th. Thursday morning delivers a big jump – 9.8ft of SSE groundswell with a long period (14 seconds) and light cross-off wind. But, and this is a big but, that is way too much for a beginner spot like Big Ben. The combined energy is strong (3572). That morning is for experts only. The standout session, without a doubt, is Friday the 11th of September. On Friday morning, we’ve got 8.2ft of clean, long-period SSE groundswell (13 seconds) and glassy conditions – yes, glassy! The wind is barely a whisper from the SSE at 3 mph. The combined energy is strong (2633). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell is big, so it’s not for the groms, but for anyone with a bit of paddle fitness, this will be the best wave we’ve seen in the entire outlook. The swell direction (SSE) lines up nicely with the optimum. Keep in mind that a long-period groundswell like this can break a bit straight on a beach break, but at Big Ben being a jetty, it should be fine. Crowds are possible here. Saturday morning the 12th holds 8.2ft with cross winds, so the quality slips, but the swell energy is still strong (2269).
Overall, it’s a long, grim wait with a fantastic payoff for those who can get out on Friday the 11th of September. Everything before that is just watching the forecast and hoping.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Fri morning, calm by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 29°C on Mon morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | SW 6 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 12 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
228 | 145 | 134 | 98 | 91 | 63 | 66 | 67 | 61 | 59 | 58 | 115 | 260 | 383 | 351 | 195 | 180 | 210 | 319 | 566 | 152 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:27PM1.54m | 5:03AM1.61m | 5:47PM1.54m | 5:42AM1.60m | 6:06PM1.55m | 6:21AM1.55m | 6:26PM1.55m | 7:02AM1.47m | 6:45PM1.54m | 7:47AM1.35m | 7:06PM1.51m | 8:45AM1.23m | 7:27PM1.48m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:59AM0.24m | 11:10PM0.64m | 11:29AM0.31m | 11:40PM0.54m | 11:57AM0.41m | 00:11AM0.46m | 12:23PM0.54m | 00:45AM0.42m | 12:48PM0.68m | 1:22AM0.41m | 1:09PM0.82m | 2:05AM0.43m | 1:26PM0.96m | 3:00AM0.47m | |||||||
5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | |
— | 6:13 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:04 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 28 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 28 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | SW 6 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 12 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | E 11 | SSW 10 |
193 | 139 | 58 | 98 | 91 | 63 | 22 | 22 | 12 | 59 | 58 | 115 | 260 | 383 | 351 | 66 | 91 | 111 | 97 | 112 | 138 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | S 8 | E 12 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | SE 10 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | SE 9 | ESE 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | E 12 | SE 10 | E 10 |
36 | 34 | 134 | 23 | 9 | 27 | 66 | 67 | 61 | 31 | 58 | 55 | 114 | 146 | 143 | 195 | 180 | 210 | 134 | 15 | 71 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | SE 10 | S 8 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SW 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | E 5 | ENE 6 | E 11 | ENE 6 | SE 10 | SE 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 10 |
8 | 23 | 20 | 30 | 31 | 12 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 8 | 16 | 59 | 12 | 15 | 25 | 184 | 98 | 71 | 15 | 7 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | — | SW 7 | SW 5 | SW 4 | SW 3 | — | — | — | ESE 5 | — | — | — | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 7 |
228 | 145 | 124 | 32 | 62 | 47 | — | 19 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | 319 | 566 | 152 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 39 | 39 | 0 | 112 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 121 | 1460 | 883 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Chiba | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Big Ben Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Big Ben provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Big Ben can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Big Ben 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 Ben) 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 Ben 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 Ben is 3 km (2 miles) from Kawaguchi. If you plan a holiday in Chiba, look for hotels and other accommodation in Kawaguchi. Kawaguchi has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











