Surf Forecasts:
J-Bay surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 7,256 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 2.2m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 1.8m and 13s is also forecast. 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 3.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for J-Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, giving you the J-Bay rundown in feet and degrees.
We’ve got a mixed bag coming over the next couple of weeks. There’s some serious energy on the way, but the wind is going to be the big story, making it a waiting game for the cleanest sessions. The water’s sitting at 62°, which is about 4° colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll definitely want a decent wetsuit.
The first week is a bit of a write-off, honestly. Friday the 4th through to Sunday the 6th is a no-go, with strong onshore winds and messy, poor surf. The swell is there, with combined energy hitting 2137 (moderate to strong) on Friday morning, but it’s blown out. We see a bit of relief on Monday the 7th morning with a 7-foot SSW swell (14s period) and light cross-on winds, but it’s only a marginal call at best.
Things start looking up on Tuesday the 8th morning. The wind goes glassy, and the swell drops to a clean 4-foot from the SW with a nice 13-second period. The energy is moderate (1193). This is the standout session for the first week – it’ll be clean and inviting, though not huge.
Wednesday the 9th morning is also clean with a light cross-off wind, but the swell is a smaller 4-foot from the east. A good option if you just want a splash, but the Tuesday morning glass-off is the one to aim for.
We then hit another rough patch from later on the 12th right through the 14th. The swell gets big, up to 12-foot, but it’s accompanied by strong, lumpy onshore winds. It’s honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during that stretch.
Now, for the second week, there’s one session that has my full attention. Wednesday the 16th morning. We’ve got a solid 20-foot SW swell, with a combined energy of 8814 (strong). The wind is a clean, strong cross-off. The size makes this strictly for experts only, but the potential for an epic session at Supertubes is massive. This is the standout of the whole outlook, but being that far out, treat it as a promising, yet uncertain, prospect.
After that, Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th mornings both offer clean conditions with cross-off winds again, but the swell is smaller or shorter period, making them less exciting. The 16-day run ends with a clean 10-foot SW swell on Saturday the 19th afternoon, but once more, it’s a long-range call.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Fri morning, light winds from the NNE by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | E 9 | SW 12 | E 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1562 | 708 | 402 | 476 | 520 | 388 | 3786 | 7256 | 4273 | 2230 | 1723 | 1099 | 591 | 325 | 239 | 288 | 257 | 321 | 510 | 1985 | 2293 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:32PM1.19m | 9:45AM1.02m | 10:56PM1.12m | 12:16PM1.11m | 00:45AM1.23m | 1:25PM1.30m | 1:43AM1.38m | 2:11PM1.50m | 2:26AM1.51m | 2:48PM1.66m | 3:02AM1.61m | 3:22PM1.77m | 3:36AM1.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:55PM0.54m | 3:16AM0.61m | 4:00PM0.66m | 5:47AM0.59m | 6:28PM0.58m | 7:10AM0.43m | 7:38PM0.40m | 7:58AM0.27m | 8:23PM0.24m | 8:36AM0.13m | 9:01PM0.11m | 9:09AM0.03m | 9:35PM0.03m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 32 | 26 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 30 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SSW 9 | SW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 222 | 218 | 173 | 476 | 520 | 388 | 3786 | 7256 | 4273 | 2230 | 1723 | 770 | 425 | 325 | 239 | 288 | 211 | 321 | 510 | 1985 | 2293 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 8 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | SSE 13 | — | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | E 9 | SW 12 | E 10 | E 9 |
| kJ | 285 | 237 | 90 | 66 | 47 | 58 | 281 | — | — | 35 | — | 1077 | 591 | 287 | 202 | 145 | 257 | 142 | 209 | 118 | 142 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 25 | WSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SW 14 | SW 11 | SSE 9 | E 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 31 | 43 | 192 | 16 | 17 | 361 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | 117 | 77 | 47 | 132 | 94 | 8 | 158 | 13 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1562 | 708 | 402 | 188 | 139 | 159 | 173 | 235 | 587 | 632 | 961 | 1099 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 35 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1767 | 645 | 197 | 197 | 594 | 197 | 197 | 559 | 197 | 172 | 197 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our J-Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest