
Surf Forecasts:
Jacobs Bay surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 5,850 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 10s. 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 3.5m 15s 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 1.3m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jacobs Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for a while. There’s a pretty solid run of surf coming up for Jacobs Bay, but you’ve got to be patient and pick your windows. The first week has some real gems, but there’s a big stretch of nothing at the end where you’ll want to find something else to do.
Things kick off Monday morning, the 20th of July. The bay is glassy, dead calm, with a 6ft SW swell rolling in at 9 seconds. The energy is moderate (678), and it’s a beginner-friendly spot. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. It’s a great little session to start the week.
The real standout is Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. The swell picks up to 7ft from the SSW, and the period stretches out to a beautiful 14 seconds – that’s groundswell with proper energy (1705). The wind is cross-offshore, and the report says it’s clean. This is the best of the first week. The crowd might be around sometimes, but when it’s this good, you don’t care.
Now, Friday morning, the 24th of July, is a different story. The swell is 12ft from the SW at 14 seconds – that’s a lot of water moving (4899 energy). The wind and tide are favorable, but this is too big for beginners. It’s expert territory only. The afternoon stays big at 10ft, but the wind gets cross-shore and messy.
The next week has some good, clean mornings. Saturday the 25th, Sunday the 26th, and Tuesday the 28th all have clean, cross-offshore winds and solid 6ft to 7ft SW swell. The energy is good (2245, 1073, 1378). Nice, consistent waves for experienced surfers.
Then comes a big gap. From Wednesday the 29th, the surf gets a bit tricky, and from Friday the 31st of July all the way through to Sunday the 3rd of August, the conditions go bad. The winds get strong, the swell drops, and it’s blown out. Poor surf, not worth paddling out.
But hold on. Monday the 3rd of August, the charts show a massive pulse. The swell hits 12ft from the WSW, with a 15-second period (5928 energy). The wind is offshore and light. Again, this is an expert-only wave. Too big for the average punter. The same goes for Tuesday the 4th – 16ft of W swell at 14 seconds (8544 energy). That’s a beast. If you’re a pro, look out.
So, the pick of the entire run? Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. That’s your standout. Clean, long-period groundswell, and the bay will be working. The other big swells are just too much for this spot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun night, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1211 | 549 | 379 | 330 | 1582 | 2609 | 2088 | 1404 | 1357 | 876 | 1224 | 821 | 5497 | 4899 | 3466 | 2641 | 1112 | 1182 | 1031 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 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 | 1:09PM1.11m | 1:13AM1.19m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:58AM0.47m | 7:16PM0.54m | |||||||
— | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | |
6:00 | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 22 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
1211 | 549 | 379 | 101 | 1582 | 2609 | 2088 | 1404 | 1357 | 876 | 1224 | 821 | 5497 | 4899 | 3466 | 2641 | 1112 | 1182 | 1031 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 16 | WSW 11 | W 9 | — | — | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | WSW 13 | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
123 | 121 | 89 | 330 | 85 | 24 | — | — | 72 | 339 | 217 | 237 | 135 | — | — | 357 | 1044 | 575 | 317 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSW 18 | SW 12 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 6 |
18 | 8 | 31 | 175 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 99 | 89 | 60 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 18 | 28 | 31 | 47 | 84 | 17 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 0 | 28 | 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.










