
Surf Forecasts:
Jacobs Bay surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,092 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Jacobs Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Jacobs Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Jacobs Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jacobs Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks at Jacobs Bay. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down day by day.
First off, the water's running a touch colder than normal for this time of year, around 57.4°F with a -2.2°F anomaly, so it’s not a huge shock, but you’ll want the rubber.
The opening salvos are pretty average, nothing to write home about. Sunday the 2nd is a write-off with light cross-onshore junk and weak, short-period swell. Same story for Monday afternoon. There is a clean-ish window Monday morning with a bit more size (1.6ft SW at 13s) and light cross-offshore ESE wind – that’s about as good as it gets for the first few days. It’s smallish but clean and rideable.
Then it gets messy. Tuesday through the middle of next week is dominated by onshores, fresh breezes, and building swell that’s just too raw and crumbly. Wednesday the 5th brings a strong pulse of groundswell (1.6ft-2.6ft SW at 15-16s, with the energy jumping to 1506-2544) but it’s crossed up by NNW wind. Not great.
Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are the real kicker. Swell sizes jump to a solid 3.3ft from the SW with a period of 13-14s, and the combined energy is pulsing between 3000-3504. The wind turns cross-off from the SSE, which would be perfect... except this is Jacobs Bay, a beginner-friendly spot, and 3.3ft is way over the top. This is expert-only territory and honestly, for most, it’s a “watch from the beach” type day. The break is exposed and will be raw.
Saturday the 8th is still heavy – 2.7ft in the morning with clean conditions, but the afternoon sees a jump to 3.8ft with onshore WNW wind at 9 mph. That’s not paddle surfing; that’s maybe kite-surfing territory. Energy is huge (3675).
Sunday the 9th is blown out with fresh onshores. Monday the 10th has a strong S wind, but the swell drops to 1.5ft – it’s just not clean or organized.
The 11th and 12th are another massive pulse – we’re talking 3.8ft to 4.4ft from the SSW, with energy readings of 3411 to 6061! The wind is cross-off from the SSE which would be pristine, but again, this is far too big for Jacobs Bay. Way too much water moving. Experts only, and even then, it’s a beast.
After that, the ocean takes a breather. Thursday the 13th morning settles back to 1.6ft from the S at 11s with light cross-off winds, but the afternoon gets bumpy.
Now, here’s the standout. Friday the 14th morning. Light offshore E wind at 6 mph, clean as a whistle, with a solid 1.8ft WSW groundswell. The period is a long 16 seconds and the energy is a solid 1582. That’s the pick of the whole window – proper groundswell, clean conditions, and a size that’s challenging but doable for the more experienced. The wave quality should be excellent.
Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th keep some decent SW swell (2.0ft-2.3ft at 15s), but the winds are stronger and more cross-shore, making it average. Monday the 17th has clean conditions but the swell is a touch smaller and the wind starts to pick up again.
So, bottom line: if you’re a beginner, you want Monday the 3rd morning or maybe Thursday the 13th. For the more experienced crew, Friday the 14th morning is the one to circle on the calendar. Everything else is either too big, too messy, or too average. Keep an eye on the forecast – that Friday swell could be really special.
Stay salty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
535 | 494 | 769 | 710 | 772 | 694 | 384 | 293 | 209 | 1096 | 2487 | 4076 | 3218 | 2795 | 3725 | 3504 | 3005 | 2474 | 2094 | 3675 | 2513 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:34PM1.53m | 5:49AM1.36m | 6:09PM1.49m | 6:29AM1.29m | 6:49PM1.42m | 7:17AM1.20m | 7:40PM1.33m | 8:22AM1.11m | 8:50PM1.25m | 9:53AM1.07m | 10:24PM1.21m | 11:32AM1.12m | 11:55PM1.26m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:16AM0.17m | 11:47PM0.22m | 11:49AM0.22m | 00:24AM0.26m | 12:26PM0.30m | 1:09AM0.32m | 1:12PM0.39m | 2:07AM0.39m | 2:14PM0.49m | 3:28AM0.45m | 3:49PM0.55m | 5:09AM0.43m | 5:37PM0.51m | ||||||||
7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
535 | 494 | 769 | 710 | 772 | 694 | 384 | 293 | 200 | 1096 | 2487 | 4076 | 3218 | 2795 | 3725 | 3504 | 3005 | 2474 | 2094 | 3675 | 2513 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | S 3 | W 11 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 13 | W 9 | — | — | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
14 | 41 | 25 | 239 | 212 | 2 | 89 | 117 | 209 | 330 | 57 | — | — | 358 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 9 | S 8 | — | — | — | SW 18 | SSW 16 | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 26 | 73 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 87 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 31 | 28 | 0 | 184 | 319 | 97 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 138 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Jacobs Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Jacobs Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Jacobs Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Jacobs 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 (Jacobs 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 Jacobs 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.
Jacobs Bay is 8 km (5 miles) from the city of Saldanha. If you plan a holiday in West Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Saldanha. Saldanha has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











