Surf Forecasts:
Big Ben surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 20s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, SSE swell with 2,757 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. 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 2.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 20s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way at Big Ben over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, the start is pretty grim, I gotta tell ya. There’s nothing really worth paddling out for from Friday the 21st through Saturday the 22nd. The swell is tiny—around 2ft to 3ft—with short period junk and cross-shore winds just chopping everything up. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there. Honestly, it’s flat and messy, and you’re better off doing something else.
Sunday the 23rd offers a little glimmer. The morning session looks clean with a light cross-off breeze from the north-northeast, and we’ll have some 3ft swell from the east at 10 seconds. The combined swell energy is weak (206), but at least you won’t be battling chop. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the first real chance to get wet without hating life.
Now, Monday the 24th is where it gets interesting. Monday morning is a standout. The water temp is a warm 80°, which is right about average for this time of year—nothing unusual there. We get a beautiful glassy morning with an east-southeast breeze, and a solid 5ft groundswell from the south-southeast with a very long period of 18 seconds. That means real grunt, proper shaped waves, and long lulls between sets. The combined swell energy is strong (2225). This is perfect for experienced surfers—beginners might find the power and size a bit much. Expect crowds to be possible here. It’s a beach and jetty setup, and that long period will be better for the jetty to keep the lines from breaking too straight.
Monday afternoon sees the wind shift onshore and the swell jumps to 8ft, but it gets chopped up and the quality drops. Tuesday the 25th through Wednesday the 27th is a period of onshore slop. Swell stays in the 4ft to 8ft range but it’s cross-on and choppy to messy. Not your friend.
We hit another dry spell from Thursday the 27th afternoon through the end of August, with mostly poor surf and weak, short-period swell. Only Saturday the 29th afternoon shows a brief window of clean conditions with a light cross-off breeze and 3ft swell, but it’s underwhelming.
The first week of September starts to rumble. Thursday the 3rd has a big increase in swell—8ft to 8ft from the east-southeast with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy jumps to massive numbers (4517 to 5372). Wind is light, but it’s cross-on. This is solid, powerful groundswell, but the shape might be a bit wonky with the wind angle. Still, for experienced surfers, it’s worth a look.
Friday the 4th of September, though—that’s the real monster. Swell is pumping 15ft from the east at 14 seconds by the morning, with a light cross breeze. The combined energy is enormous (8951). But I have to warn you: this is too big for this break. It’s predicted to be too much for Big Ben, so really only for absolute experts, if anyone at all. The afternoon drops to 12ft, still huge. After that, it tapers off through the 5th and 6th, with cleaner cross-off winds but still big, solid swell around 8ft.
Overall, the standout is Monday morning the 24th—clean, glassy, strong groundswell, perfect for those who know what they’re doing. The deep water runner is Friday the 4th of September, but only for the brave. There are long gaps of flatness and junk, so don’t hold your breath mid-week.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 9 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
58 | 65 | 66 | 175 | 231 | 198 | 120 | 83 | 206 | 1202 | 2649 | 1859 | 2060 | 1894 | 1191 | 688 | 426 | 275 | 245 | 289 | 285 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:37PM1.39m | 9:26PM1.33m | 4:10PM1.33m | 00:01AM1.29m | 4:16PM1.41m | 1:46AM1.34m | 4:31PM1.46m | 2:51AM1.43m | 4:50PM1.50m | 3:40AM1.52m | 5:08PM1.52m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 5:40AM0.51m | 7:19AM0.44m | 8:35PM1.23m | 8:26AM0.35m | 9:17PM1.13m | 9:13AM0.27m | 9:46PM1.02m | 9:53AM0.22m | 10:14PM0.89m | 10:28AM0.21m | 10:42PM0.76m | ||||||||||
5:03 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | |
— | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 |
45 | 65 | 66 | 175 | 231 | 198 | 120 | 83 | 206 | 924 | 2649 | 1859 | 2060 | 1894 | 1191 | 688 | 426 | 193 | 209 | 289 | 285 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | S 5 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | ESE 12 | ENE 9 | SSE 18 | E 12 | S 16 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 10 | E 12 | E 12 | SW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 11 |
58 | 44 | 52 | 22 | 46 | 32 | 30 | 83 | 64 | 1202 | 175 | 880 | 311 | 284 | 215 | 214 | 138 | 97 | 79 | 56 | 117 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | SSW 9 | SE 10 | S 5 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | E 12 | E 12 | SW 8 | E 11 | SW 10 | WSW 10 | SSE 10 | E 12 | E 16 | E 15 | E 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 |
21 | 30 | 47 | 47 | 28 | 10 | 55 | 78 | 104 | 99 | 35 | 118 | 15 | 9 | 72 | 145 | 48 | 115 | 83 | 35 | 35 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | S 3 | S 4 | SSW 5 | S 5 | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | — | — | — | SSW 9 | — | — | — | — | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 |
9 | 5 | 17 | 37 | 23 | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | 54 | — | — | — | — | 238 | 275 | 245 | 135 | 131 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 30 | 121 | 35 | 30 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 183 | 561 | 534 |
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.











