Surf Forecasts:
Jacobs Bay surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 7,563 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Jacobs Bay in the next 16 days are 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jacobs Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about Jacobs Bay. This spot is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent beach that’s exposed to a WSW swell. The water temperature is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.
The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a clear standout to aim for. Friday morning, the 28th of August, is your best bet. We’ve got a 4 ft swell from the S with an 11-second period, and a light SE breeze coming cross-offshore. The combined energy is moderate at 701, and the conditions are looking clean. It’s a good window for a beginner to get out there and have fun.
Thursday the 27th is a write-off – windy and messy. Saturday the 29th starts with a 5 ft WSW swell and a 14-second period, but the wind is cross and getting stronger, so it’s not clean. That afternoon, it gets worse with a 35 km/h cross-onshore. Sunday the 30th has a bigger 8 ft SW swell, but the cross wind keeps it lumpy. Monday the 31st is small and marginal.
Now, Tuesday the 1st of September sees a 8 ft SW swell come in, but the wind is wrong – onshore in the afternoon, so it’s not worth it. Wednesday the 2nd of September is a big one: a 13 ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore, so the conditions are clean. But this is way too big for beginners – it’s an expert-only day. The combined energy is massive at 7042. The same goes for Thursday and Friday – huge, clean swell, but with gale-force winds, it’s more of a spectacle than a paddle session.
After that, things settle down. Saturday the 5th of September gives us a glassy morning with a 12 ft swell from the S, but again, too big for most. Sunday the 6th has a 8 ft S swell, but it’s a short 9-second period, so it’s weak and messy. By Monday the 7th, the swell drops to 5 ft, and energy is low at 406. The rest of the week is small and poor, with the last real chance being a tiny, glassy 2 ft morning on Tuesday the 8th of September.
Right now, the top call is Friday morning, the 28th of August. It’s not big, but it’s clean and perfect for a beginner session. The big stuff from the 2nd to the 5th of September is for experts only, and even then, the wind might be a factor.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed night, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the SSW by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat night, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Sat night, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 418 | 522 | 513 | 410 | 284 | 640 | 577 | 904 | 1189 | 965 | 1945 | 1739 | 1447 | 976 | 726 | 875 | 2088 | 2305 | 4378 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 2:44AM1.43m | 3:04PM1.54m | 3:14AM1.49m | 3:32PM1.61m | 3:45AM1.52m | 4:01PM1.64m | 4:16AM1.52m | 4:31PM1.65m | 4:49AM1.49m | 5:03PM1.61m | 5:24AM1.42m | 5:39PM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:46PM0.24m | 8:54AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.16m | 9:21AM0.09m | 9:44PM0.10m | 9:49AM0.07m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:18AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.08m | 10:49AM0.12m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:22AM0.19m | 11:55PM0.19m | ||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | 6:25 | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 22 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 8 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 418 | 522 | 513 | 410 | 284 | 640 | 577 | 904 | 1189 | 403 | 1945 | 1739 | 1447 | 976 | 726 | 875 | 2088 | 2305 | 4378 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 16 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | WSW 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | — | S 8 | S 7 | WSW 10 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 353 | 256 | 239 | 170 | 284 | 264 | 128 | 72 | 86 | 965 | 11 | 11 | — | 80 | 37 | 210 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 11 | — | WSW 18 | SSE 12 | — | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 225 | 13 | 26 | 126 | 133 | — | 63 | 30 | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SSW 3 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 9 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 0 | 84 | 29 | 29 | 285 | 28 | 29 | 135 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 0 | 132 | 31 | 82 |
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.
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