Surf Forecasts:
Jacobs Bay surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 17s period, WSW swell with 3,378 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period with WSW 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 14) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. 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 2.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jacobs Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. This run we’ve got one spot on the radar – Jacobs Bay – and it’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break down the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a decent run of swell heading our way, but the winds are going to be the story. The first solid window is Wednesday the 12th. The swell is pushing 6ft from the WSW with a long 18-second period. The energy is strong, checking in at 2514, and with a light easterly offshore breeze, it’s going to be clean. The water is sitting at 55°F, which is a few degrees colder than average for this time of year – so you’ll want the hood and booties, it’s properly chilly out there. This is a standout for the experienced crew; the size and power are there, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
Thursday the 13th turns a bit messy. The swell bumps up to 8ft, but that strong NNE cross-off wind at 25 mph will chop it up. There’s a solid amount of energy (3378), but you’ll be fighting the conditions. Friday the 14th stays in the 6ft range, but the wind goes cross-on from the NNW, so it’s not great. The period is still long, but the surface will be a bit lumpy.
Come Saturday the 15th, there’s a reprieve. The swell is still 6ft from the WSW with 14-second period, and the morning sees a light SSE cross-off breeze. It’s clean, and the energy is still moderate at 1320. This is another decent pick for the weekend. Sunday the 16th starts with glassy conditions – a 3 mph westerly – but the afternoon gets a light cross-on. The swell stays solid at 6ft, but Monday the 17th is where the size kicks up again, hitting 8ft from the WSW with a 13-second period. The morning has a clean cross-off breeze, and the energy is strong at 2515. This is one of the better days for the experts, but it’s a big one.
After that, Tuesday the 18th backs off a bit to 7ft, but the winds go cross-shore, so it’s not super inviting. Wednesday the 19th is a write-off; the swell is still 8ft but the SSE wind is howling at 25 mph, making it all over the place.
We get a bit of a reset going into the second week. Thursday the 20th sees the swell drop to 6ft, period drops to 9 seconds, and the energy weakens to 1030. It’s clean, but smaller and shorter period. Friday the 21st looks promising though. A gentle offshore wind from the east, 6ft of SSW swell with an 11-second period, and the energy is moderate at 919. It’s a nice, clean day, but the afternoon wind picks up.
Saturday the 22nd is a bit of a teaser. The morning is clean at 5ft, but the afternoon sees the swell jump to 8ft with a longer 15-second period while the wind swings onshore, making it lumpy.
Now, the real standout of this whole run is Sunday the 23rd. We’ve got glassy conditions in the morning, a solid 6ft of SW swell with a long 17-second period, and the energy is cranking at 3333. That’s the one to circle. But be warned – by the afternoon, that same swell is predicted to pump up to a massive 10ft, and the energy goes ballistic at 6401. That’s well into expert-only territory; it’s too big for anyone not comfortable in serious juice.
Monday the 24th continues to be big, with 10ft still on the cards in the morning, and while the wind is cross, it’s still heavy. It stays oversized into the afternoon. Things back off from Tuesday the 25th, with the swell dropping to 4ft but the period stretching out to 20 seconds – that’s very long period, so the waves are going to be a bit softer and more drawn out, better on the points than the beach breaks. The energy is moderate at 2121.
Wednesday the 26th brings another clean window with a glassy morning and 7ft of SW swell at 15 seconds. That’s a solid option for the experienced surfers. The final day we have data for, Thursday the 27th, sees the swell drop to 5ft, but the period is still a decent 12 seconds.
So, to sum it up: the best bets are the morning of Wednesday the 12th, Saturday the 15th, Monday the 17th, and the standout glassy morning of Sunday the 23rd. That Sunday morning will be special if you can handle the size. After that, keep an eye on the long-period stuff early next week – it’s promising but far out, so we’ll see. Remember, this is all for Jacobs Bay, and it’s a fairly consistent spot, so even when it’s not perfect, it usually has something. I’m Rusty, and I’ll see you in the water.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNE on Wed night, calm by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat night, min 14°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2138 | 1916 | 3378 | 2599 | 1856 | 1475 | 1475 | 1244 | 1306 | 1364 | 1487 | 1403 | 1887 | 2488 | 2515 | 2215 | 1726 | 1217 | 1080 | 512 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 3:13PM1.64m | 3:30AM1.59m | 3:52PM1.70m | 4:09AM1.58m | 4:29PM1.71m | 4:47AM1.53m | 5:05PM1.66m | 5:23AM1.45m | 5:39PM1.57m | 5:58AM1.34m | 6:13PM1.44m | 6:34AM1.23m | 6:49PM1.30m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:27PM0.05m | 9:39AM-0.01m | 10:07PM0.01m | 10:16AM0.00m | 10:45PM0.03m | 10:51AM0.06m | 11:22PM0.09m | 11:24AM0.15m | 11:57PM0.19m | 11:57AM0.26m | 00:32AM0.30m | 12:31PM0.39m | 1:09AM0.43m | |||||||
— | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 18 | SW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 |
2138 | 1916 | 3378 | 2599 | 1856 | 1475 | 1475 | 1244 | 1306 | 1364 | 1487 | 1403 | 1887 | 2488 | 2515 | 2215 | 1726 | 1217 | 1080 | 512 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SW 21 | — | N 5 | — | — | NW 4 | W 5 | W 5 | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 11 |
162 | 890 | — | 27 | — | — | 12 | 12 | 14 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 242 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | NNE 5 | N 6 | — | N 4 | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
214 | 93 | 165 | — | 13 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 69 | 101 | 105 | 47 | 97 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 29 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 28 | 29 | 106 | 28 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











