J-Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.05° S 24.93° E

J-Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 05 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's J-Bay sea temperature is
15.1° C
3.8° 

J-Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


J-Bay surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 7,312 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 10s. 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Wed 5th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 15s
Best Surf 8AM (Thu 6th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sun 9th Aug)15ft (4.5m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for J-Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, it’s Rusty here.

Alright, let’s cut to it. The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag for us at J-Bay. We’ve got a proper stretch of solid, clean swell kicking off, but then the ocean turns on us for a few days, and we’ve got to be patient before it cleans up again. The water is sitting at 59°F, which is a whopping 7°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’re gonna want the thickest wetsuit you own, hood, boots, the lot. It’s seriously unusual to have it this cold.

The first real window opens up on Wednesday the 5th. The morning is looking inviting with a clean 3ft SSW swell rolling in at 15 seconds, pushed by a light NNW cross-offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (876) and it’s clean and the quality is there. It’s a bit on the smaller side, but it’s a good warm-up. The afternoon bumps up to a 6ft SW swell, but a cross-shore wind messes with it a little, so the morning is the pick there.

Thursday the 6th is a different story. The swell jumps to a solid 12ft from the SW with a 13-second period. The energy is strong (4961) and the morning has a clean cross-off wind. This is powerful surf, well over the 8ft mark, so it’s strictly for the experienced crew. Friday the 7th is the standout of this first pulse. The swell backs down slightly to a still-chunky 10ft, but the wind goes glassy off the SSW in the morning. This is about as perfect as it gets for a wave this size – clean, powerful, and with the energy (2823) to push you down the line. This is a day for the top-shelf boards.

Saturday the 8th keeps the quality high with another 10ft SW swell and light cross-off winds in the morning. It’s a bit more manageable, but still a serious session. Then, the ocean turns. From Sunday the 9th through Tuesday the 11th, we’ve got a strong southerly wind blowing right into the coast, and combined with the still-pumping 13ft to 8ft SW swells, it’s going to be blown out and messy. The energy is through the roof (5874), but it’s a washing machine out there. This is a classic case of a lot of power with nowhere to go. Honestly, with that much wind and swell on a beach and reef setup, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys. I’d give it a wide berth.

The wind eases off on Wednesday the 12th, but the swell drops right down to a small 4ft. It’s still a bit lumpy from the onshore breeze, so not worth getting too excited about. But hold on, Thursday the 13th brings back some real quality. The wind goes glassy again, and we have a clean 6ft SW groundswell at a very long 16 seconds. That’s a beautiful, clean wave, and the energy is strong (2346). It might be a bit fat on the beach breaks with that long period, but the points and reefs here will be reeling. This is another good window.

Friday the 14th is a write-off with fresh onshore winds and a junky ESE swell. We then have a couple of small, clean days on the weekend, with a 6ft ESE swell on Saturday morning (15th) and a 3ft WSW swell on Sunday (16th) under light winds. They’re surfable, but not the main event.

Now, for the long range. Looking ahead to the week starting the 17th, the first couple of days are small. But Tuesday the 18th sees a big pulse of 12ft SW swell arrive, and it’s glassy in the morning. It’s a promising day, but it’s a week out, so we’ll see how it tracks. The real monster, though, is shaping up for Wednesday the 19th and especially Thursday the 20th. We’re looking at a very strong 12ft SW swell on Wednesday, and then a massive 21ft SW groundswell hits on Thursday. The energy readings are astronomical (16911 and 34269). That is a huge, dangerous swell. The wind on Thursday morning is forecast to be glassy, which is incredible, but this is double overhead-plus territory. It’s going to be a spectacle, but only for the most seasoned big-wave chargers. That’s a “promising but we’ll see” kind of day, and for most of us, it’s a day to watch from the cliffs.

So, to wrap it up: your two standout sessions are Friday the 7th and Thursday the 13th. Both have solid, clean SW swells with glassy conditions. That’s the best of the best in this stretch. The rest is a mix of waiting out the wind and dodging the giants.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sun afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sat morning, strong winds from the S by Sun morning).

Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
4
4
3
4
4
3
5
5
3
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SSW
15
1.7
SW
16
2.3
SW
14
3.5
SW
13
3.5
SW
13
3
SW
12
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
14
3
SW
15
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
13
3.5
SW
15
4
SW
13
3
SW
13
3.5
SW
11
2
SW
12
2.3
S
10
3
SSW
11
2.5
SSW
13
2
SSW
12
2.2
ESE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
372
1412
2119
4873
3883
2659
2693
2903
3916
2940
2158
4430
5806
3305
2797
1092
1069
1887
1935
1059
618
Wind (km/h)
15
NNW
10
SSW
15
W
20
WSW
15
SSW
5
SSW
5
SSW
10
SE
10
N
10
WSW
25
WSW
20
W
50
S
40
SSE
25
S
30
SSE
25
SSE
30
SSE
25
SE
25
SE
25
ESE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
High Tide
7:53PM1.41m
8:17AM1.16m
8:59PM1.29m
9:50AM1.06m
10:46PM1.22m
11:59AM1.09m
00:33AM1.28m
1:24PM1.24m
1:44AM1.41m
2:20PM1.42m
2:35AM1.53m
3:04PM1.59m
3:18AM1.63m
Low Tide
1:25PM0.35m
2:18AM0.45m
2:21PM0.48m
3:39AM0.54m
3:54PM0.59m
5:36AM0.55m
6:00PM0.57m
7:09AM0.43m
7:29PM0.44m
8:08AM0.28m
8:27PM0.28m
8:52AM0.14m
9:13PM0.15m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
mod rain
heavy rain
mod rain
light rain
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:09
7:07
7:07
7:05
7:05
7:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:43
5:43
5:44
5:45
5:45
5:45
5:46
 mm
6
13
7
4
2
2
1
7
Temp °C
26
28
16
17
17
15
16
17
15
19
18
15
14
11
13
12
13
12
12
14
13
Feels °C
22
24
14
13
13
13
16
16
14
17
14
12
8
3
5
5
5
5
5
8
9
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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