
Surf Forecasts:
J-Bay surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 19s period, SSW swell with 10,058 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 12s. 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 4.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for J-Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid 16-day window for J-Bay, and it’s got some absolute gems hidden in there, but you’ve gotta pick your moments. Overall, the pattern is looking good with a few standout days that are going to be world-class, but there are also some rough patches of wind and lumpy conditions.
Let’s kick things off. The first real action we’re looking at is on Thursday, July 23rd morning. J-Bay is serving up a clean 7 ft SW swell with a period of 11 seconds (combined energy 1276). The wind is light and offshore from the WNW, so the line-up is going to be clean and inviting. It’s a good session for experienced surfers, no doubt about it.
But if you can hold out, Friday, July 24th morning is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. I’m talking about a proper session. The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror, and the swell is a solid 13 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period (combined energy 8204). That’s a massive, long-period groundswell with a ton of energy. This is expert-only territory, as 13 ft at J-Bay is a serious beast. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no shocks there. The wind is glassy and the swell direction is perfect for the point. This is the one you circle on the calendar.
Saturday, July 25th morning cleans up with a glassy 8 ft SW swell (13 seconds, combined energy 2226), and the wind is light from the NE. It’s a great option for the intermediate crew, but it’s not the same level of power as Friday. The afternoons through the weekend get a bit onshore, so get your fix in the mornings.
We’ve got a bit of a rough patch from Monday, July 28th through Wednesday, July 30th. The swell is big and powerful, but the wind is onshore and strong, making for some pretty poor, choppy conditions. The energy is huge (over 10000 combined on the 28th), but it’s just not surfable with that wind. You’d be better off looking at a kite if you’re keen, because the paddle is going to be a slog.
After that, the first week of August starts to look a bit more promising again. Sunday, August 2nd morning has a clean 5 ft SW swell with a moderate offshore breeze from the WNW. It’s a smaller, cleaner day for the intermediates. Then Monday, August 3rd morning is glassy again with a 7 ft swell from the ESE, but it’s a short period (7 seconds, combined energy 821), so it’ll be a bit weaker and mushier. The wind is calm, though, so it’ll be clean.
Looking further out, Thursday, August 6th morning brings a nice 6 ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the NNW. It’s clean and has plenty of energy (1700 combined). And Friday, August 7th morning looks glassy again with a 6 ft SW swell (14 seconds). That’s a solid, clean end to the forecast window.
So, the bottom line: Friday, July 24th morning is the absolute king of this forecast. It’s a massive, glassy, groundswell that’s going to be firing. If you’re not an expert, the Saturday, July 25th morning and the Sunday, August 2nd morning are your best bets for cleaner, more manageable waves. Don’t waste your time on those windy days in between.
Stay salty,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the ESE by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 13 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
828 | 1083 | 3087 | 2877 | 8155 | 5416 | 3326 | 2063 | 2381 | 1890 | 1209 | 840 | 1083 | 1335 | 1048 | 3871 | 7922 | 8217 | 4948 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:52PM1.15m | 10:51AM0.98m | 11:31PM1.11m | 12:39PM1.02m | 00:56AM1.15m | 1:44PM1.12m | 1:52AM1.24m | 2:27PM1.23m | 2:32AM1.34m | 3:02PM1.34m | 3:06AM1.43m | 3:33PM1.44m | 3:37AM1.50m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:31AM0.65m | 4:37PM0.69m | 6:18AM0.63m | 6:31PM0.67m | 7:31AM0.55m | 7:41PM0.59m | 8:17AM0.45m | 8:26PM0.49m | 8:51AM0.34m | 9:02PM0.39m | 9:22AM0.24m | 9:34PM0.31m | |||||||
— | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | |
5:32 | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 12 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 22 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 11 | ESE 12 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
828 | 1083 | 91 | 2877 | 8155 | 5416 | 3326 | 2063 | 2381 | 1890 | 1209 | 840 | 1083 | 1335 | 1048 | 3871 | 7922 | 8217 | 4948 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | E 9 | SSW 19 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 8 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | E 8 | E 9 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — |
177 | 156 | 6 | 1591 | 49 | 58 | 131 | 163 | 171 | 64 | 452 | 461 | 107 | 96 | 711 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | SW 12 | S 23 | ESE 12 | — | — | ESE 10 | — | — | — | E 7 | E 7 | SE 9 | SSW 16 | E 8 | — | — | — | — |
177 | 37 | 11 | 77 | — | — | 65 | — | — | — | 72 | 87 | 3 | 298 | 51 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | — | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | ENE 7 | — | — | SW 4 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
808 | — | 3087 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | 135 | — | — | 16 | 95 | 1248 | 1946 | 2166 | 1879 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 0 | 219 | 142 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 614 | 299 | 354 | 197 | 52 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










