
Surf Forecasts:
Jacobs Bay surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 7,073 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s 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 (Jul 19) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s. 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 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jacobs Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for Jacobs Bay over the next couple of weeks.
The first real action kicks off on Sunday, the 19th of July, but it’s nothing to get excited about – just a bit of messy, cross-on swell. The real story starts to build on Monday morning, the 20th. We’re looking at a solid 6ft SW groundswell, and the wind is glassy out of the SE. That’s a beautiful start to the week. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate (701), and with those clean conditions, it’s a great option for beginners, though the 9-second period means it’s a bit weaker than a proper groundswell.
The standout session, though, is Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. It’s a 6ft SSW groundswell with a very long 14-second period, pushing a lot of energy into the bay (1307). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE, so the lines will be clean and well-shaped. This is excellent for experienced surfers. Just be aware that with such a long period, the sets might be a little more walled-up at the beach breaks, but for a point or reef setup, this is prime.
Wednesday, the 22nd, and Thursday, the 23rd, see the swell drop a little and the wind turns more cross-on, so the quality dips. Thursday afternoon has a bit more energy (1220), but the wind is not ideal.
Friday, the 24th of July, is a big one, but it’s for experts only. The morning is pumping with an 12ft SW swell and a 15-second period, generating very strong energy (4890) and clean, cross-off winds. That’s serious power. If you’re not solid on a board that size, sit this one out. The afternoon is still huge at 10ft but with stronger cross-shore winds.
Saturday morning, the 25th, drops back to a more manageable 7ft SW swell with a 13-second period and clean cross-off winds. That’s a great, powerful day for anyone who’s comfortable in overhead waves. The energy is still strong (2160).
Sunday, the 26th of July, is a real treat. The morning brings a 4ft swell but with a clean offshore breeze from the ENE. It’s small, but glassy. The afternoon, however, is a gem: a 4ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period and clean, light cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (1476), but those long, peeling lines will be a joy. Expect crowds to be possible at this spot.
Monday, the 27th, morning is another absolute beauty. A 6ft SSW swell with a very long 17-second period, and the wind is glassy. The energy is very strong (3515). This is one of the best windows of the whole forecast – clean, powerful, and long-period. The afternoon blows up again to 10ft, only for experts.
The week of the 28th sees a massive pulse of swell, with 13ft SSW on Tuesday morning, but it’s just too big for this break. The energy is extreme (8849). The rest of that week is a mix of big, messy, and onshore conditions, with a lot of wind. Thursday, the 30th, is still huge and messy.
Heading into the first week of August, the wind is howling. Friday, the 31st of July, and Saturday, the 1st of August, are blown out with fresh onshore and cross-shore winds. The surf is poor. Sunday, the 2nd of August, sees a drop in wind, and the afternoon has a very long period 6ft SW swell (2079) but with onshore wind, which is a shame.
The pick of the entire forecast is Tuesday morning, the 21st of July, and Monday morning, the 27th of July. Tuesday for the perfect balance of size, power, and clean wind. Monday for the glassy, long-period gem. Get out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
528 | 503 | 585 | 1128 | 599 | 371 | 330 | 1227 | 2310 | 2013 | 1427 | 1229 | 939 | 769 | 983 | 5587 | 4890 | 3495 | 3003 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:39AM1.30m | 7:01PM1.44m | 7:25AM1.19m | 7:46PM1.32m | 8:18AM1.09m | 8:38PM1.21m | 9:25AM1.02m | 9:45PM1.12m | 10:49AM1.00m | 11:06PM1.09m | 12:10PM1.03m | 00:19AM1.12m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:39AM0.23m | 12:40PM0.28m | 1:25AM0.33m | 1:22PM0.40m | 2:14AM0.43m | 2:11PM0.52m | 3:15AM0.51m | 3:17PM0.61m | 4:35AM0.55m | 4:51PM0.64m | 5:57AM0.53m | 6:17PM0.61m | |||||||
— | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | |
6:00 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
528 | 503 | 585 | 1128 | 599 | 371 | 330 | 1227 | 2310 | 2013 | 1427 | 1229 | 939 | 769 | 983 | 5587 | 4890 | 3495 | 3003 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 8 | SSW 7 | W 9 | W 8 | — | — | W 7 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 12 | — | — | — |
242 | 184 | 130 | 123 | 92 | 90 | 71 | 41 | 24 | 5 | — | — | 1 | 116 | 94 | 677 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SW 12 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | — | — | — | — |
100 | 82 | 34 | 18 | 10 | 31 | 178 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 143 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 82 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 82 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 18 | 29 | 97 | 69 | 17 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
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.










