Surf Forecasts:
J-Bay surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 8,217 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period with ESE 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at J-Bay in the next 16 days are 5.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for J-Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for J-Bay over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it's a bit of a slow start. The first few days are looking pretty average, with onshore winds and messy, weak surf. We've got a lot of poor to marginal conditions from Saturday the 1st right through until Tuesday the 5th. The water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a decent wetsuit.
The first real standout that gets my blood pumping is Thursday the 6th. That's the one. We're looking at a solid 16ft swell from the southwest, with a long 13-second period pushing a massive amount of energy (8281). The wind is a clean cross-offshore, which is just what the doctor ordered. This is big, powerful, groundswell. At over 8ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The combined energy is massive, so expect some serious juice. Friday the 7th afternoon is also a beauty, with a 10ft southwest swell going glassy – that's about as good as it gets for clean conditions.
Saturday the 8th keeps the run going with an 12ft southwest swell, but the wind picks up to a fresh breeze, so it'll be a bit bumpier. Sunday the 9th is a write-off with strong onshores, so give it a miss.
Looking further out, the first week of August is the real deal, with Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th being the absolute best. After that, the swell drops off and the wind goes onshore again, making the second week a bit of a gamble. It's not looking great, but that's the long-range for you.
The pick of the bunch is definitely J-Bay (beach and reef) on Thursday the 6th. The 16ft southwest swell with that 13-second period and cross-offshore wind is going to be firing. It's a consistent spot, but with that size, it'll be a crowd of experts only. The swell direction is perfect for the setup. Tuesday the 4th also has a clean 4ft to 4ft southwest swell, which is a much smaller, more manageable option for intermediates.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the SW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SW 13 | E 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 10 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 727 | 712 | 746 | 565 | 1538 | 990 | 798 | 659 | 537 | 522 | 425 | 303 | 235 | 1212 | 2094 | 8217 | 7448 | 5565 | 3697 | 2658 | 1886 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:27PM1.66m | 5:33AM1.54m | 5:57PM1.64m | 6:05AM1.48m | 6:29PM1.60m | 6:40AM1.39m | 7:06PM1.52m | 7:22AM1.28m | 7:53PM1.41m | 8:17AM1.16m | 8:59PM1.29m | 9:50AM1.06m | 10:46PM1.22m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:12AM0.07m | 11:34PM0.18m | 11:40AM0.09m | 00:07AM0.21m | 12:10PM0.15m | 00:42AM0.27m | 12:44PM0.24m | 1:24AM0.35m | 1:25PM0.35m | 2:18AM0.45m | 2:21PM0.48m | 3:39AM0.54m | 3:54PM0.59m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — |
 | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 23 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 21 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | E 8 | SW 13 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 12 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 15 | SW 14 | E 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 161 | 150 | 261 | 565 | 386 | 990 | 798 | 659 | 530 | 450 | 425 | 240 | 235 | 1212 | 2094 | 64 | 7448 | 5565 | 3697 | 2658 | 1886 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | S 10 | SW 13 | S 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | ESE 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 5 | E 7 | E 9 |
| kJ | 40 | 76 | 18 | 286 | 15 | 287 | 282 | 643 | 537 | 522 | 328 | 303 | 220 | 183 | 145 | — | 45 | 45 | 45 | 130 | 194 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 10 | — | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 13 | — | — | S 18 | WSW 5 | SW 14 | WSW 10 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | — | S 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 16 | — | 283 | 236 | 3 | — | — | 6 | 36 | 211 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 28 | — | 83 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | ESE 12 | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | W 4 | — | WSW 6 | — | — | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 727 | 712 | 746 | — | 1538 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 19 | — | 27 | — | — | 8217 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 140 | 140 | 140 | 31 | 140 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 0 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 67 | 3 | 197 | 141 | 0 | 3 |
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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