
Surf Forecasts:
Big Ben surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 18s period, SE swell with 9,681 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with SW 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 (Jul 29) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s is also forecast. 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 4.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Ben over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s happening at Big Ben over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it’s flat and ugly. The first few days are a total write-off. Tuesday the 28th is a no-go with tiny, weak 2ft to 3ft wind-affected slop and a combined energy of only 170. The water’s sitting at 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only warm thing about it.
Wednesday morning the 29th is our first real glimmer of hope. We get a quick pulse of 6ft swell from the SW, but it’s short-period windswell at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. The real kicker is the glassy conditions – that’s a major positive. The wave energy is moderate (399). This is the best of a bad bunch early on, but it’s nothing to get too excited about, and it only lasts the morning.
From the 30th through the 31st, we’re back to tiny, weak waves with energy readings barely breaking 50-100. Friday morning the 31st is clean but only 1ft – you’d be fighting for scraps.
Now, hold on to your boards. The real story starts on Sunday, August 2nd. The swell builds. By Sunday afternoon, we’ve got 5ft ESE swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 972. That’s moderate, but the wind is onshore, so it’s a messy prospect.
Monday the 3rd is where it gets serious. A 8ft ESE groundswell (16 seconds) rolls in, with combined energy at 2991 – strong. This is big, powerful, long-period stuff. The cross-shore wind is manageable, but it’s going to be a bit choppy. This is expert territory for sure. The swell hits 8ft in the afternoon with 3826 energy.
But the standout? The absolute don’t-miss-it window, if you’ve got the skills, is Tuesday August 4th. We’re looking at a massive 13ft swell from the SE, with a period of 18 seconds. The combined energy is a whopping 10085. Wednesday the 5th goes even bigger with a ridiculous 54ft ESE swell (159025 energy) – that’s a monster, but it’s also cross-offshore wind, so it’ll be clean. This is not for the faint of heart. This is a big-wave crew-only situation. The swell is just too big for this beach/jetty setup for a normal paddle. Honestly, if you’re not on a gun, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
After that peak, things drop off and get messy. From Thursday the 6th through Saturday the 8th, it’s onshore winds and deteriorating conditions.
We then get a second, more manageable window on Sunday the 9th. A 6ft E swell with a 13-second period, combined energy of 1087, and clean cross-offshore winds. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, and a much more user-friendly size than the mid-week beast. The 10th and 11th keep some energy, but the consistency and quality fade.
The 12th looks like it’s back to the usual chop and close-outs.
So, if you’re an expert, don’t miss Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th. For everyone else, the standout is Sunday, August 9th – that’s your best bet for a good, clean session without needing a tow-in. The gap between the small stuff early on and the big stuff is about 4 days of nothing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SE 10 | NE 8 | SW 7 | SE 9 | E 11 | SE 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 15 | ESE 16 | SE 16 | ESE 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
81 | 63 | 48 | 246 | 117 | 88 | 46 | 24 | 15 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 58 | 81 | 178 | 467 | 845 | 1487 | 2869 | 3676 | 7183 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:26PM1.48m | 3:33AM1.49m | 5:50PM1.50m | 4:19AM1.53m | 6:13PM1.51m | 5:03AM1.55m | 6:35PM1.50m | 5:45AM1.54m | 6:57PM1.49m | 6:27AM1.49m | 7:20PM1.48m | 7:11AM1.41m | 7:42PM1.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:08AM0.09m | 10:29PM1.03m | 10:45AM0.06m | 11:02PM0.94m | 11:20AM0.08m | 11:34PM0.85m | 11:52AM0.14m | 00:07AM0.76m | 12:24PM0.23m | 00:41AM0.69m | 12:53PM0.36m | 1:18AM0.62m | 1:22PM0.51m | 1:59AM0.58m | |||||||
4:43 | — | — | 4:45 | — | — | 4:46 | — | — | 4:47 | — | — | 4:47 | — | — | 4:48 | — | — | 4:48 | — | — | |
— | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:44 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 24 |
Feels °C | 30 | 29 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | SSW 7 | SE 10 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 6 | SW 7 | SW 6 | S 6 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 15 | ESE 16 | SE 16 | ESE 17 |
81 | 58 | 31 | 110 | 48 | 88 | 46 | 23 | 12 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 37 | 59 | 178 | 467 | 845 | 1487 | 2869 | 3676 | 7183 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 6 | SE 10 | ENE 8 | S 5 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SE 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 10 | ENE 16 | ENE 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 |
63 | 63 | 48 | 34 | 10 | 23 | 24 | 8 | 15 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 58 | 81 | 64 | 81 | 72 | 109 | 100 | 98 | 94 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | ENE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 5 | SE 9 | E 11 | E 18 | ENE 17 | ENE 7 | SE 20 | SSE 9 | S 13 | — | — | — |
26 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 54 | 55 | 35 | 60 | 17 | 3 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 5 | SW 7 | SSW 7 | — | ENE 3 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | ENE 7 | — | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | NE 6 |
— | — | 58 | 246 | 117 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 22 | 46 | — | 15 | 38 | 8 | 22 | 52 | 258 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 30 | 34 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 22 | 0 | 532 | 22 | 2461 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
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.










