
Surf Forecasts:
Jacobs Bay surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 5,000 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 8PM. 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jacobs Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here.
Alright, let's cut through the noise and look at the next couple of weeks. We've got a solid run of south-west groundswell on the way, but the first few days are all about size. It's not a quiet spell, but it's a tricky one because the waves are going to be too big for the Bay at times, and when it's not too big, the wind's often messing things up. There are some good windows in there though, especially mid-period, so don't write it off.
Let’s break it down. The first real surf on offer kicks off Friday afternoon, the 7th. Jacobs Bay (West Coast) is looking at a strong 12ft of SW swell, with a long 14-second period. That's a lot of energy for a beginner-friendly spot, and with the combined energy reading a hefty 4749, this is one for experienced heads only. The wind is a cross-shore SSW at 12 mph, which isn't perfect, and water temps are sitting at 57°, which is about 3° colder than the usual for this time of year. It’s a bit chilly out there.
Saturday the 8th is a mixed bag. The morning sees the swell drop to 8ft with a lighter SW cross-shore breeze, but the conditions are marginal. The afternoon brings a better 12ft pulse with a clean WSW offshore wind, but the size is again too big for this break. You’d need to be pretty keen and experienced to tackle that.
Sunday the 9th is a write-off for the Bay. The swell is still too big, sitting at 12ft, and we’ve got strong SSE winds blowing at 25-28 mph. It’s big and it’s messy, and while the winds are cross-offshore, that strength will chop it up. This is more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle day, to be honest.
Monday the 10th sees the size start to back off, down to 8ft in the morning, but the winds are still fresh and onshore-ish, making for messy conditions. The afternoon drops further to 6ft but the quality is still questionable.
Now, the good part. From Tuesday the 11th through to Thursday the 13th, things line up. Tuesday morning you’ve got 7ft of SSW swell at 13 seconds, with a gentle offshore ESE breeze. This is where it starts to get clean, and the energy is moderate at 1562. It's a good, surfable size. Tuesday afternoon stays nice with 6ft and clean conditions.
Wednesday the 12th is a gem. A long-period WSW swell, 6-6ft, with a period of 18-19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. The winds are light and cross-offshore, keeping it glassy. For a beach break, that long period can sometimes make waves close out a bit, but the size is manageable. Thursday the 13th pushes up a touch, with a 8ft SW swell at 17 seconds in the morning. This is the standout of the week, with clean, offshore winds and moderate energy. It’s a good one for anyone with a bit of experience, as it’s pushing the limits for beginners.
Friday the 14th drops off again with a fresh NNE wind making things less appealing, and the weekend of the 15th-16th is mostly back to marginal conditions with choppy cross-shore winds. There’s a brief glassy window on Saturday morning the 15th with a clean 7ft WSW swell, but it’s a short-lived opportunity.
The second week is a bit of a downer. From Monday the 17th through to Thursday the 20th, we’ve got a run of smaller, messier swells. The energy is weak, winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the quality is frankly poor. It’s the kind of spell where the Bay just goes flat and messy.
Then the forecast closes out with a bang, but a dangerous one. On Friday the 21st, a big W swell arrives, jumping to 15ft with an 11-second period. The combined energy is strong at 4366 in the morning, and it gets bigger. Then Saturday the 22nd turns serious: a 20ft SW swell in the morning, with an enormous energy reading of 21224. This is huge, dangerous surf. It’s too big for this break, and only for the most extreme experts, if anyone. Get the cameras out, but stay on the sand.
Overall, the standout window is definitely Thursday the 13th, with Wednesday morning a close second. If you can, get out there for those long-period, clean groundswell sessions. The rest is either too big, too messy, or just flat.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the SSE by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed night, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | WSW 22 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
4749 | 4132 | 2376 | 4308 | 4041 | 3144 | 2259 | 2514 | 1465 | 501 | 928 | 1509 | 928 | 1541 | 1879 | 1974 | 1940 | 3110 | 2058 | 1588 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 10:24PM1.21m | 11:32AM1.12m | 11:55PM1.26m | 12:48PM1.25m | 1:05AM1.37m | 1:44PM1.40m | 2:00AM1.47m | 2:31PM1.53m | 2:47AM1.55m | 3:13PM1.64m | 3:30AM1.59m | 3:52PM1.70m | 4:09AM1.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:49PM0.55m | 5:09AM0.43m | 5:37PM0.51m | 6:32AM0.33m | 6:57PM0.39m | 7:31AM0.21m | 7:55PM0.25m | 8:19AM0.10m | 8:43PM0.13m | 9:01AM0.03m | 9:27PM0.05m | 9:39AM-0.01m | 10:07PM0.01m | |||||||
— | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 12 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 13 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | WSW 22 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 |
4749 | 4132 | 2376 | 4308 | 4041 | 3144 | 2259 | 3 | 1465 | 496 | 928 | 1509 | 928 | 1541 | 1879 | 1974 | 1940 | 3110 | 2058 | 1588 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | WSW 10 | WSW 25 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 21 | — | NNE 6 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 101 | 920 | 39 | 237 | 247 | 254 | 49 | 890 | — | 56 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | WSW 11 | W 26 | WSW 10 | SSE 9 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSE 10 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | 101 | 14 | 38 | 177 | 115 | 50 | 19 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | SSW 12 | — | S 9 | — | — | SSE 9 | E 4 | E 4 | — | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | — | NNE 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 461 | 2514 | — | 501 | — | — | 307 | 12 | 21 | — | 36 | 47 | — | 80 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 135 | 524 | 1432 | 84 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.











