Surf Forecasts:
J-Bay surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 4,891 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for J-Bay this week:
The surf forecast for J-Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 1.7m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at J-Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for J-Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s break down this next stretch for J-Bay. It’s a proper mixed bag, so we gotta be patient.
Right now, the water is seriously cold. We’re talking a full 9° Fahrenheit colder than normal for this time of year. That's a big deal, so you'll need all the rubber you can get.
The immediate forecast is a bit of a bummer. There’s some decent size showing, but the wind is going to be a problem, blowing onshore and cross-onshore, making for messy conditions. Don’t get worked up about the big numbers just yet.
The first real window where you might find something clean is Saturday afternoon, the 16th. The swell has dropped to about 4ft, and the wind goes light and cross-offshore. It’s not big, but it will be clean. The energy is weak though, so it's more about getting a glide than getting barreled.
Then there’s a bit of a lull until Monday morning, the 18th. That’s when things start to look better. We’ve got a 5-6ft SW swell with a 13-second period, and a light offshore wind. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and J-Bay (Eastern Cape) will be showing its classic lines. This is looking like the pick of the first week.
The middle of the week gets messy again with the wind going easterly and onshore. We get a small reprieve from Friday the 22nd through Sunday the 24th with clean, cross-off conditions, but the swell is smaller, around 4ft. It’ll be rideable, but it’s not going to be a day to call in sick for.
Now, for the one to really get excited about. Looking way out to Friday the 29th, we’ve got a solid pulse of SW groundswell arriving. The morning looks clean with a cross-off breeze, and the swell is forecast at a solid 11-12ft with a 13-second period. The combined energy is strong. This is a proper J-Bay day. It'll be big, powerful, and walled-up. Expect a crowd, but for good reason. Saturday the 30th will still have plenty of size, but the wind looks uncertain and the period drops.
That Friday the 29th is the one to mark on the calendar. It’s a long way out, so we can’t be certain, but all the ingredients are there for a memorable session. The rest of the time, we’re just picking through the leftovers.
Alright, stay warm and keep your eyes on that forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sat morning, light winds from the SW by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | ESE 8 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | E 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2462 | 1919 | 4616 | 3560 | 2702 | 2973 | 2107 | 2077 | 4891 | 3018 | 1098 | 555 | 559 | 790 | 1324 | 1271 | 2054 | 1314 | 930 | 614 | 686 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:59AM1.09m | 00:33AM1.28m | 1:24PM1.24m | 1:44AM1.41m | 2:20PM1.42m | 2:35AM1.53m | 3:04PM1.59m | 3:18AM1.63m | 3:44PM1.72m | 3:57AM1.68m | 4:20PM1.79m | 4:32AM1.68m | 4:55PM1.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:00PM0.57m | 7:09AM0.43m | 7:29PM0.44m | 8:08AM0.28m | 8:27PM0.28m | 8:52AM0.14m | 9:13PM0.15m | 9:31AM0.03m | 9:54PM0.07m | 10:06AM-0.03m | 10:32PM0.03m | 10:40AM-0.04m | 11:06PM0.05m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | |  |  | | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — |
mm | — | — | 3 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | E 10 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | E 8 | SW 15 | E 8 |
| kJ | 2462 | 1919 | 4616 | 3560 | 2702 | 30 | 2107 | 2077 | 4891 | 3018 | 1098 | 509 | 251 | 790 | 1324 | 1271 | 2054 | 1314 | 328 | 614 | 470 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 10 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | SSW 24 | SSW 21 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 20 | S 9 | S 11 | SW 15 | — | SW 14 |
| kJ | 52 | 49 | 49 | 46 | 48 | — | 16 | 121 | — | — | — | 111 | 521 | 172 | 99 | 1100 | 6 | 2 | 930 | — | 529 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | — | — | — | E 10 | — | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 12 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | 17 | — | 55 | 31 | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | WSW 6 | — | — | — | SW 12 | — | — | — | E 10 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | E 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 36 | 131 | — | — | — | 2973 | — | — | — | 18 | 575 | 555 | 559 | 590 | 852 | 513 | 585 | 750 | — | 401 | 686 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 142 | 140 | 0 | 3 | 896 | 3 | 354 | 197 | 183 | 197 | 427 | 140 | 141 | 172 | 140 | 141 | 141 | 140 | 31 | 180 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the J-Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for J-Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at J-Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our J-Bay 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 (J-Bay) 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 J-Bay 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.
J-Bay is 19 km (12 miles) from the city of Kruisfontein. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape (South), look for hotels and other accommodation in Kruisfontein. Kruisfontein has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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