Surf Forecasts:
J-Bay surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 4,659 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s 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 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for J-Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty. Let’s run through what’s happening at J-Bay over the next couple of weeks. There’s a good run of solid, clean groundswell coming, with a few absolute crackers if you pick your days. The water temperature is a crazy 14°C, which is 5° colder than normal – that’s way colder than usual, so you’ll want a thick suit, no question.
The first real chance is Sunday morning, 23rd August. You’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the SW with an 11-second interval, and a light 9 mph WSW cross-off breeze. The wave energy is moderate (1547). It’s solid and clean for the experienced crew – a proper J-Bay morning. Sunday afternoon drops a bit to 7ft with a light cross-shore, still rideable.
Monday 24th is another good morning: 7ft SW swell at 12 seconds, glassy with a light SW cross-off and 1104 energy. Perfect for a paddle. The afternoon holds at 6ft but the breeze picks up.
Now, Tuesday 25th August is the real standout. It’s a beauty – 10ft of SW groundswell, a long 14-second period, and flat calm, glassy conditions. The swell energy is strong at 3476. That’s powerful, long-lined J-Bay at its best. It’s too big for beginners – this one’s for the experienced surfers only. The long period means plenty of push, and the glassy wind means clean, open faces.
Wednesday 26th gets messy with a strong cross-onshore breeze from the east, killing the quality. Thursday 27th afternoon recovers nicely with 6ft S swell at 15 seconds and glassy conditions (2812 energy) – another solid session. Friday 28th morning is still glassy with 5ft S swell, a nice little cleanup.
The weekend of 29th to 30th August is blown out or way too big. Saturday 29th drops way off, and Sunday 30th blows up – a huge 18ft WSW swell with a strong cross-off, but the energy is very strong (6959) and the conditions are poor. That’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle day.
Monday 31st August morning brings a return to form: 10ft SW swell at 11 seconds, glassy, and 1913 energy. Excellent for experienced surfers again.
After that, the first week of September is mixed. Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd have onshore junk and weak slop. Thursday 3rd September morning shapes up okay with 8ft SW at 14 seconds and light cross-shore, but nothing special.
The long-range gem is Saturday 5th September morning: 10ft ESE swell, 10-second period, glassy conditions, and 1774 energy. It’s a weird direction for J-Bay, but with no wind at all, it could offer clean walls. It’s over a week away, so just keep an eye on it.
Your best bet is Tuesday 25th August – that glassy, 10ft SW groundswell is the pick of the lot. Monday 31st August morning is a close second. Get out there, but bring the thickest wetsuit you’ve got.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the E by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 650 | 1279 | 878 | 524 | 1376 | 1447 | 1545 | 1025 | 836 | 1912 | 3519 | 2270 | 3060 | 3736 | 4007 | 1839 | 1158 | 861 | 1048 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off |
High Tide | 10:35PM1.00m | 12:36PM0.96m | 00:52AM1.07m | 1:40PM1.10m | 1:44AM1.20m | 2:15PM1.24m | 2:18AM1.33m | 2:43PM1.39m | 2:47AM1.44m | 3:10PM1.52m | 3:15AM1.54m | 3:36PM1.63m | 3:42AM1.60m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:54AM0.72m | 6:33PM0.74m | 7:28AM0.60m | 7:41PM0.62m | 8:04AM0.46m | 8:16PM0.49m | 8:32AM0.33m | 8:46PM0.36m | 8:58AM0.21m | 9:14PM0.25m | 9:23AM0.11m | 9:41PM0.15m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | 5:53 | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 21 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 19 | 23 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | E 9 |
| kJ | 650 | 362 | 878 | 524 | 1376 | 1447 | 1545 | 1025 | 836 | 1912 | 3519 | 2270 | 3060 | 3736 | 4007 | 1839 | 1158 | 861 | 805 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | E 4 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | SSW 14 | WSW 12 | E 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | S 16 | S 16 | S 12 |
| kJ | 329 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 236 | 111 | 7 | 950 | 1726 | 679 | 357 | 249 | 507 | 600 | 1048 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | E 8 | — | SE 11 | E 9 | E 10 | — | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 6 | — | 4 | 7 | 2 | — | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | 131 | 81 | 77 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | SW 11 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | E 4 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | — |
| kJ | 10 | 1279 | 701 | 494 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 50 | 266 | 321 | 787 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 513 | 31 | 257 | 140 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 172 | 197 | 197 | 140 | 31 | 0 |
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.
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