Surf Forecasts:
Big Ben surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, S swell with 1,400 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. 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 2.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our local patch – Big Ben. It’s gonna be a mixed bag, but there’s a couple of windows you’ll want to mark on the calendar.
Right now, the water is sitting at a balmy 82°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Nice. But don’t get too excited yet, because for the next week or so, it’s mostly going to be a struggle. We’ve got a fair bit of energy pulsing in – that combined swell energy is swinging around a moderate 1670, but the winds are messy and the sizes are all over the place.
Tuesday (August 25th) and Wednesday (26th) are write-offs. The swell is confused, the wind is cross or howling, and the conditions are just ugly. Thursday (27th) looks flat with a tiny 2ft easterly swell and a risk of thunderstorms. Not worth the paddle.
The first real glimmer of hope comes Friday morning, August 28th. It’s not going to be big – just a small 3ft easterly groundswell with a nice 12-second period – but the wind is forecast to go *dead glass*. That light south-easterly energy (combined energy of 373) won’t give you much push, but if you’ve got a log, those clean, glassy peelers will be all yours. Saturday (29th) and Sunday (30th) mornings are also worth a look for the same reason: clean conditions and small, rideable waves. The crowds will show up *sometimes* here, but on a small clean morning, it’s usually mellow.
We then hit a dead zone from late Sunday through most of the first week of September. The wind is rubbish, onshore, and the surf quality drops right off.
The Real Standout – Save Your Energy for This.
Alright, here’s the one you wait for. Tuesday morning, September 1st. The swell kicks back up to a solid 4ft from the south, with a 12-second period and light offshore breeze (NNE). The combined swell energy jumps to a solid 602. The forecast says “very good surf conditions,” and I’m backing that. This is the pick of the next two weeks. It’s not huge, but it’s clean, punchy, and well-shaped for a beach/jetty setup. Get in the water.
Now, after that, it gets interesting but not for the faint-hearted. Wednesday, September 2nd, a big SSE swell ramps up to 12ft, but the wind turns onshore (ESE) in the morning. That’s heavy, powerful surf, and the combined energy hits a strong 2535. For the experts only – this is beyond beginner territory and pushing even for most intermediates. Thursday, September 3rd, it gets even bigger. We’re looking at a massive 25ft southerly swell with a combined energy of 14919 – that’s a big, dangerous ocean. The wind is cross-onshore and the conditions will be lumpy and chaotic. Unless you’re a seasoned charger on a gun, you want no part of this. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for those couple of days.
From Friday the 4th onwards, the swell drops back down, but the wind stays stubbornly onshore, leaving us with poor, choppy conditions through to Wednesday the 9th. It’s a long stretch of nothing, but after that huge pulse, the ocean needs a rest.
So, bottom line: Tuesday morning, September 1st is your target. Small but perfect. For the brave, keep an eye on the 2nd if you’re a true expert. For everyone else, the small, glassy mornings at the end of August are a nice warm-up.
Stay salty,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Wed night, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 6 | E 14 | S 11 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1335 | 895 | 326 | 233 | 199 | 160 | 102 | 141 | 212 | 193 | 139 | 137 | 98 | 93 | 88 | 63 | 103 | 99 | 89 | 88 | 83 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:31PM1.46m | 2:51AM1.43m | 4:50PM1.50m | 3:40AM1.52m | 5:08PM1.52m | 4:23AM1.58m | 5:27PM1.54m | 5:03AM1.61m | 5:47PM1.54m | 5:42AM1.60m | 6:06PM1.55m | 6:21AM1.55m | 6:26PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:13AM0.27m | 9:46PM1.02m | 9:53AM0.22m | 10:14PM0.89m | 10:28AM0.21m | 10:42PM0.76m | 10:59AM0.24m | 11:10PM0.64m | 11:29AM0.31m | 11:40PM0.54m | 11:57AM0.41m | 00:11AM0.46m | 12:23PM0.54m | 00:45AM0.42m | |||||||
5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | |
— | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 27 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | E 12 | E 12 | SSW 7 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 6 |
1335 | 895 | 326 | 233 | 121 | 94 | 73 | 141 | 192 | 193 | 139 | 88 | 98 | 93 | 88 | 63 | 103 | 99 | 89 | 88 | 44 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 13 | SSW 12 | SSE 9 | SSW 12 | E 12 | SW 11 | E 13 | E 13 | S 9 | S 8 | E 12 | S 8 | SSW 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 7 | NE 8 | E 11 |
311 | 225 | 208 | 121 | 199 | 98 | 92 | 128 | 212 | 55 | 33 | 137 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 19 | 20 | 65 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | S 12 | E 14 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SW 6 | SSE 11 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 12 |
— | — | 215 | 148 | 138 | 72 | 102 | 64 | 36 | 23 | 37 | 38 | 14 | 47 | 20 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 31 | 31 | 83 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 5 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | ENE 3 | ENE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | S 4 |
24 | 36 | 71 | 43 | 49 | 160 | 75 | 46 | 77 | 102 | 111 | 75 | 8 | 30 | 32 | 23 | 22 | 42 | 50 | 50 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 70 | 229 | 35 | 30 | 576 | 35 | 35 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 6 | 6 | 35 | 0 |
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.











