
Surf Forecasts:
Big Ben surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 13s period, SE swell with 15,591 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 16 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 13s 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 Wednesday (Sep 16) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. 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 7.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 5s period and expected on Monday (Sep 21) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 19th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 23ft (7.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. There’s a bit of a slow start, but things are gonna fire up in a big way before settling back down again. Strap in.
We kick off with a bit of swell on Wednesday the 16th. Big Ben (Big-Ben) is showing around 3.3ft of east swell with a 13-second period. The energy’s moderate, sitting at 423, and with that light cross-offshore NNE breeze, it’s clean. It’s a beginner-friendly size, but don’t get too excited—this is just the warm-up. The water’s sitting at 79.3°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no dramas there.
Thursday the 17th sees the swell bump up to 6.2-6.6ft from the northeast, but the period drops right off to 7-8 seconds. That’s short-period, windswell stuff. The wind’s a cross-offshore at 30 km/h, keeping it reasonably clean, but the energy’s still moderate (536-571). It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary. Friday the 18th is much the same story—6.9-7.9ft from the ENE with a 8-9 second period, still a fresh cross-offshore breeze. Nothing to write home about, just lumpy, walled-up waves.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th bring a serious pulse. We’re looking at 13-15ft of southeast swell with a 11-13 second period. The energy’s through the roof—we’re talking 5,303 to 9,355, strong to very strong. The wind’s still cross-offshore and clean. But here’s the thing: this is way too big for Big Ben. It’s a beach/jetty setup, and anything over 8.2ft is expert territory. This is big, powerful, and dangerous. If you’re a seasoned charger, this could be a wild ride, but for most of us, it’s a day to watch from the sand. Monday the 21st keeps the size around 13ft in the morning, but the period drops and the wind picks up to a strong 40-50 km/h. That’s sloppy, blown-out chaos in the afternoon. Not good.
After that, it all fades fast. Tuesday the 22nd drops to under 3.3ft, and the wind swings onshore. From Wednesday the 23rd through to Tuesday the 29th, it’s pretty grim. Waves are small, 1.6-4.6ft, with short periods and cross-onshore winds. There’s a bit of a bump on the 24th with 3.3ft and glassy conditions in the afternoon, but it’s nothing special. The energy’s weak to moderate, and the surf is messy. This stretch is a write-off.
Now, the best of the bunch comes at the tail end. Wednesday the 30th of September starts to show some life again, with 4.6ft of southwest swell and a 15-16 second period. The energy’s moderate (1510-1810), but the wind’s a bit cross. However, Thursday the 1st of October is the real standout. We’ve got 4.3ft of clean southwest groundswell with a 15-second period, and the wind is light and cross-offshore at 10 km/h. The water’s glassy, the waves have proper push. This is the pick of the whole forecast—clean, lined-up, and with enough power to be fun without being scary. The energy is moderate (1450 in the morning, 960 in the afternoon), but the quality is there.
So, overall, the standout is clearly October 1st at Big Ben. It’s not the biggest, but it’s the cleanest and most well-shaped. If you’ve got a window, that’s the one to chase. The big weekend swell is impressive, but it’s too much for this spot. The rest is pretty average.
That’s how I see it. Stay safe out there, and don’t push it on the big days.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 57mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 172mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 20°C on Sat night). Mainly near gales. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | NE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
340 | 255 | 141 | 396 | 453 | 877 | 929 | 585 | 2103 | 4933 | 5093 | 5567 | 4600 | 5082 | 15433 | 4427 | 510 | 243 | 94 | 72 | 131 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:29PM1.55m | 8:11AM1.30m | 6:50PM1.51m | 9:25AM1.19m | 7:10PM1.46m | 7:26PM1.38m | 4:03PM1.29m | 3:16PM1.36m | 00:16AM1.22m | 3:26PM1.41m | 1:55AM1.31m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:42PM0.84m | 1:26AM0.34m | 1:01PM0.96m | 2:13AM0.40m | 1:11PM1.08m | 3:15AM0.48m | 4:55AM0.53m | 6:47AM0.51m | 8:41PM1.15m | 7:59AM0.46m | 8:58PM1.00m | ||||||||||
5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | 9 | 15 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 74 | 14 | — | 3 | 2 |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 28 | 26 | 23 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 31 | 28 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | SE 8 | E 11 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | E 11 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | — | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 9 |
340 | 255 | 141 | 29 | 89 | 8 | 6 | 63 | 2103 | 4933 | 5093 | 5567 | 3794 | 3971 | — | 4427 | 510 | 243 | 94 | 72 | 41 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | E 12 | SE 8 | S 13 | — | SE 16 | E 11 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | SSE 15 | — | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 9 | SSE 9 |
75 | 64 | 63 | 71 | 21 | 3 | — | 41 | 110 | 313 | — | — | — | 288 | — | 902 | 400 | 68 | 37 | 61 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SE 8 | E 16 | ENE 14 | SSE 9 | — | — | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | E 13 | — | — | SW 9 | SW 8 | E 10 | S 9 | NNE 8 |
8 | 3 | 5 | 40 | 8 | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | 79 | 16 | 46 | 2 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | — | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 13 | WNW 5 | SW 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ESE 7 |
12 | 43 | 132 | 396 | 453 | 877 | 929 | 585 | 334 | 500 | 210 | — | 4600 | 5082 | 15433 | 94 | 243 | 114 | 22 | 32 | 131 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 35 | 184 | 184 | 184 | 513 | 513 | 273 | 273 | 273 | 595 | 532 | 595 | 595 | 552 | 552 | 552 | 72 | 0 | 30 | 81 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Chiba | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










