Surf Forecasts:
Big Ben surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SSE swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, S swell with 5,531 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 4.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let's break down what Big Ben's cookin' up for the next two weeks.
Honestly, the first stretch is a bit of a dud. From Thursday the 20th right through the 23rd of August, we're looking at mostly poor to marginal conditions. The swell is tiny, the wind is all kinds of wrong (cross and cross-onshore), and the wave energy is skinny, with the combined swell energy reading a low 98 on Thursday afternoon. The water temp is about 80°F, pretty normal for the season – nothing to write home about.
You might see a slight bump on Saturday the 22nd with the swell hitting 0.9m (just under 3 feet) from the East, and the combined energy climbs to 282, but the cross-shore wind and the "marginal" call mean you'll be fighting for nothing. Honestly, save your energy for later.
The one real standout window opens up on Monday, August 24th. We've got a Southeast groundswell arriving with 2.0m (about 7 feet) of swell and a long 15-second period. The combined energy jumps way up to 3103 (moderate to strong). The early morning looks like the call with light cross-shore winds from the Southwest keeping things tidy. Now, once that swell pushes past 2.5m (8 feet) later that day, it's for experts only. For a beach/jetty spot like Big Ben, a long-period groundswell like this – over 15 seconds – will wrap in, but it can get a bit straight and powerful on the bank. This is absolutely the best on offer: Monday morning, August 24th.
Tuesday the 25th of August brings a huge 3.0m (10 foot) Southerly swell with a 15-second period. The combined energy is massive at 4912, but the forecast is clear – it's simply too big for this break. The wind is cross-off early, which is good for shape for the absolute big-wave specialists. Then the wind turns into a gale on Thursday and Friday the 27th and 28th, bringing 4.0m (13 feet) of messy, blown-out swell. At that point, the setup looks way more appealing for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Into the second week, from Saturday the 29th of August through to Monday the 31st, the swell drops to the 1.3m to 1.9m range (4 to 6 feet). The winds hold from the Northeast, mostly cross or cross-off. The combined energy settles back to the 560 to 694 range (weak to moderate). The cleanest session in this period looks to be Monday morning, August 31st, with a nice cross-offshore breeze and a 1.3m (4 foot) Southeast swell – still only marginal, but it's the cleanest of a messy bunch.
Looking into September 1st and 2nd, we get another pulse of solid swell – 2.5m (8 feet) from the East with a 14-second period on Tuesday the 1st, and 3.0m (10 feet) again on Wednesday the 2nd. The combined energy climbs back into the 2000s, but the onshore winds will mess it up. For my money, the only real standout in the whole 16 days is that Monday morning, August 24th. It's not perfect, but it's the best we've got.
Keep your eyes on the bank, and don't be a hero in the big stuff.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 28°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
57 | 57 | 58 | 65 | 66 | 175 | 231 | 198 | 125 | 196 | 996 | 1835 | 3588 | 2137 | 4588 | 4462 | 3282 | 1661 | 1505 | 4498 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 8:09PM1.44m | 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 | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 4:00AM0.52m | 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 | ||||||||||
— | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | |
6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 13 | 28 |
Temp °C | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 26 |
Feels °C | 31 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | SE 11 | SSW 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SSE 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 | E 15 |
15 | 57 | 45 | 65 | 66 | 175 | 231 | 198 | 125 | 88 | 996 | 1835 | 3588 | 2137 | 4588 | 4462 | 3282 | 1661 | 1505 | 157 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | ENE 8 | E 7 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | S 5 | SSW 9 | S 5 | SSW 9 | SSE 15 | E 9 | SSE 19 | E 12 | S 16 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 10 | E 12 | E 12 |
57 | 22 | 24 | 44 | 52 | 23 | 46 | 11 | 30 | 196 | 59 | 1094 | 224 | 1948 | 306 | 225 | 215 | 188 | 138 | 99 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | SSW 8 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | SSW 9 | SE 10 | SSW 9 | SSE 4 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | SW 10 | ESE 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | WSW 11 | E 12 | E 16 | — |
26 | 14 | 58 | 30 | 47 | 47 | 28 | 32 | 8 | 75 | 104 | 174 | 35 | 135 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 150 | 81 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 5 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | — | NNE 2 | SE 4 | — | — | — | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | S 11 |
— | 11 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 37 | 24 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | 4498 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 30 | 30 | 35 | 30 | 120 | 35 | 39 | 0 | 22 | 29 | 6 | 6 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 534 | 70 | 30 | 30 | 609 |
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.











