Big Ben Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.12° N 140.12° E

Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 8 am 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Big Ben sea temperature is
27.1° C
0.2° 

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


Big Ben surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period, SSE swell with 362 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with E 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Big Ben in the next 16 days are 0.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (JST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Thu 20th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 7s
Best Surf12AM (Thu 20th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 7s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sun 23rd Aug)3ft (0.9m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks. To be honest, mate, the start of this stretch is pretty grim. We’ve got a long run of poor surf conditions from the 16th to the 23rd of August. Small, weak, and onshore – not worth paddling out for. We’re talking about a blank run of about a week, which is a real bummer. The swell energy is pretty weak too, hanging around the 118 to 452 range. You wouldn’t be missing anything.

Now, things finally start to wake up around Monday the 24th. That’s our first real chance of a wave. Big Ben (that’s our beach/jetty spot) sees the swell start to push in from the SSE, and the energy jumps right up to 2467, which is moderate to strong. The size is around 7ft, but the problem is that it’s still pretty cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a bit messy. The period is a solid 16 seconds, though. That’s proper groundswell, and for a beach/jetty setup, that long period can make it a bit straight and hard to find a proper peak. It’s a maybe. The water temp is a balmy 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, so you won’t need a hood.

By the 25th and 26th, we’re looking at waves around the 8ft mark, and the energy is ramping up to the 2800-3400 range. Still, the wind is cross-onshore and it’s looking lumpy, so you need to be comfortable in that messy power. It’s big enough to be a handful and some of those conditions will be pushing it for the less experienced. There is some decent size and power in the water, but the quality is lacking.

Around the 28th, we see it jump again, with a predicted 10ft from the south with a 14-second period. The energy is getting serious at 3589. The problem now is it might be too big for this break to really work well, especially for a beginner spot. You’d want to be a solid surfer to handle this.

The real standout, the one that has me a little excited but also a bit wary, is Sunday the 30th of August. The morning brings a huge 15ft SSE swell with a 13-second period, and the energy reading is off the charts at 6831 - that’s strong to very strong. The wind is a light cross-shore, which is about the best we can hope for here. This is the biggest, most powerful swell of the whole period. But, and it’s a big but, this is way oversize for the lineup. It’s a true expert-only session. The wave will be jacking way too big for this spot to be any fun for the average punter. It’s a spectacle, not a surf. The models are saying wind and tide are favorable, but it's just too big. It’s a case of “look, don’t touch.” This looks like one for the jet ski if you're that way inclined, because 15ft is way beyond paddle board territory here.

So, the only real window is the 24th to the 29th, and even that is marginal. The 30th and 31st are huge, but too big for this break. The forecast for that second week, the 25th onward, is promising in size but less certain in quality. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath just yet. I’d say the pick of the days, if you can handle it, is the 24th morning with that 7ft groundswell, despite the cross-onshore. Everything else after that is either too messy or too big.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
E
10
1.3
E
9
1.2
E
8
1.1
E
9
1.1
E
9
1
E
9
0.8
E
8
0.9
SE
7
0.9
SE
7
0.9
ESE
7
0.8
ESE
6
0.8
E
7
1
E
8
1
E
8
1
E
8
0.6
SSW
10
0.6
SSW
9
0.9
SSW
11
1
E
10
1
E
10
1.2
SSW
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
314
264
205
185
177
153
90
77
71
62
56
57
120
120
121
74
66
183
177
188
263
Wind (km/h)
10
E
15
E
10
E
15
E
15
E
10
E
10
ENE
15
ESE
5
E
10
ENE
10
E
5
ESE
10
E
10
SE
10
S
10
S
20
SSW
20
SSW
25
SSW
30
SSW
30
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
High Tide
6:42PM1.52m
6:45AM1.49m
7:03PM1.51m
7:29AM1.39m
7:24PM1.50m
8:20AM1.27m
7:46PM1.47m
9:31AM1.15m
8:09PM1.44m
8:37PM1.39m
9:26PM1.33m
Low Tide
12:25PM0.38m
00:43AM0.54m
12:52PM0.51m
1:20AM0.50m
1:17PM0.66m
2:01AM0.49m
1:39PM0.82m
2:52AM0.50m
1:53PM0.97m
4:00AM0.52m
5:40AM0.51m
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
4:58
5:00
5:00
5:01
5:01
5:03
5:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:28
6:25
6:24
6:23
6:22
6:22
6:20
 mm
2
1
2
2
Temp °C
26
26
24
27
27
25
28
27
25
28
27
25
28
27
25
28
28
26
28
27
26
Feels °C
27
27
26
28
29
28
31
29
28
30
29
29
31
29
28
30
30
28
28
27
26
  • 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 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.

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