
Surf Forecasts:
Big Ben surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, ENE swell with 711 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period with ESE 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 1.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 6PM. 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 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Big Ben.
Straight up, the first few days are pretty ordinary. From Wednesday the 15th to the weekend of the 18th and 19th of July, it’s flat to small and messy. There's a bit of knee-high swell around, but it's coming from the east with short periods and cross-onshore or onshore winds. The water temp is sitting at 77°, which is about what you'd expect for this time of year. Honestly, there's not much to get excited about. The combined wave energy is weak, and the surf quality is just poor.
The first glimmer of hope comes on Monday morning the 20th of July. It's small, around 4ft from the east, but the wind goes glassy. That's a major positive. The combined energy picks up to a moderate level, and the early session will be clean with no wind. The swell is short period though, under 8 seconds, so it won't have much punch. It's a beginner-friendly wave, but given it's inconsistent, you'll need to be patient. An okay start to the week.
Now, Tuesday the 21st of July is a standout. The morning session is the pick of the entire forecast. We've got a clean 5ft east swell with glassy conditions. The swell period is a reasonable 10 seconds, and the combined energy is strong. The water is still warm, and the offshore wind is perfect. This is the best wave on offer in the first week. It's a beach/jetty break, so it'll be a bit crumbly with the short period, but the clean conditions will make it surfable. The crowd factor is "sometimes," so you might have company, but it won't be a zoo.
The rest of that week and into the next weekend sees the swell hang around the 3ft to 5ft mark, but the wind goes cross-shore or cross-onshore, and there are a few risk of thunderstorms around. The combined energy stays moderate. The waves are marginal, and the wind messes them up. The 22nd and 23rd of July have a longer period (11 seconds) which is better for shape, but the cross winds make it choppy.
There's a dry spell through the 25th and 26th of July. The swell drops right off, and it's not worth paddling out.
Then things get interesting again. The 29th and 30th of July look like a serious pulse. On Wednesday morning the 29th, we see a 5ft southeast swell with a very long 15-second period. The combined energy is massive. This is a proper groundswell. The wind is light and onshore, but the size and period are huge. The 30th of July is even bigger, with the swell hitting 6ft to 7ft from the southeast, with a period of 14 to 16 seconds. The combined energy goes through the roof. This is expert territory. The swell is over 8ft on the 30th afternoon, and the wind is a fresh cross-shore, so it'll be lumpy. This is a long-range call, so it's promising but less certain. The very long period means it'll be a ripper at the jetty, but the beach break might close out.
For the whole run, the swell direction is east to southeast, and the optimum swell for Big Ben is southeast, so those later pulses are a match. The first standout is Tuesday morning the 21st for the clean, glassy conditions. The second standout is the Thursday morning the 30th for the sheer size and power, but only for the experts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wed 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
47 | 102 | 115 | 116 | 186 | 93 | 95 | 143 | 202 | 169 | 289 | 246 | 214 | 216 | 327 | 332 | 449 | 486 | 617 | 652 | 629 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 6:18PM1.48m | 4:37AM1.51m | 6:44PM1.48m | 5:21AM1.51m | 7:10PM1.47m | 6:05AM1.47m | 7:35PM1.45m | 6:50AM1.40m | 8:00PM1.43m | 7:39AM1.31m | 8:26PM1.41m | 8:37AM1.20m | 8:54PM1.39m | 9:58AM1.10m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:24PM0.97m | 11:44AM0.04m | 00:00AM0.89m | 12:18PM0.11m | 00:36AM0.82m | 12:51PM0.22m | 1:15AM0.75m | 1:23PM0.36m | 1:57AM0.70m | 1:55PM0.52m | 2:46AM0.65m | 2:25PM0.68m | 3:46AM0.60m | ||||||||
— | — | 4:35 | — | — | 4:37 | — | — | 4:37 | — | — | 4:37 | — | — | 4:39 | — | — | 4:39 | — | — | 4:39 | |
6:53 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | 6:50 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 29 |
Feels °C | 31 | 28 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 |
47 | 102 | 115 | 116 | 186 | 93 | 95 | 143 | 202 | 169 | 289 | 246 | 214 | 216 | 327 | 332 | 449 | 486 | 617 | 652 | 629 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SE 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SW 8 | SW 4 |
41 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 25 | 25 | 34 | 16 | 31 | 11 | 37 | 26 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | SE 11 | SSE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | S 8 | S 9 | ESE 12 | S 8 | S 7 | ESE 12 | S 8 | SW 7 | ESE 11 | WSW 8 | SSE 7 |
16 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | S 4 | — | S 4 | — | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | — | — | SW 7 | WSW 6 | — | SW 2 | S 8 | — |
9 | 53 | 32 | 23 | 37 | 58 | 39 | 9 | — | 1 | — | 56 | 67 | — | — | 2 | 4 | — | 1 | 18 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 30 | 35 | 35 | 30 | 30 | 184 | 81 | 30 | 30 | 81 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
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.











