
Surf Forecasts:
Oyster Bay surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 9,083 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Oyster Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Oyster Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Oyster Bay in the next 16 days are 4.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 12s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Oyster Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up at Oyster Bay. This is a bit of a disappointing stretch, to be honest. The bay is an exposed sandbar, and it’s inconsistent, so it’s not the kind of spot you can rely on to fire all the time. You’ll need to pick your moments carefully.
The week starts off with a bit of a wait. The first real look is Monday the 20th, but it’s not worth paddling out for. We’ve got a 6ft swell from the SW, but it’s a short, weak 11-second period, and a cross-onshore wind from the SW is chopping it all up. The combined wave energy is moderate (1279), but the conditions are just marginal. Best to sit this one out.
Tuesday the 21st offers a glimpse of hope. The morning has a 6ft SW swell, but the period jumps to 15 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-shore from the WNW, which is clean. It’s a bit better, but still only marginal. The afternoon builds to an 8ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind stays light cross-shore from the SE. The energy is strong (2932), but it’s still a marginal call. Not a standout, but a patient surfer might find a few.
Wednesday the 22nd sees the wind pick up, and the quality drops. Thursday the 23rd gets messy with a strong breeze, and by Friday the 24th, we’ve got a big swell. The Friday morning (24th July) sees a 13ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a light offshore from the NE. The bay is clean, with massive energy (7846). But here’s the thing – that’s too big for this sandbar break. It’s only for experienced surfers, and even then, it’s a big, powerful wave that’s going to be a handful. The Friday afternoon is similar, 12ft and clean, with a cross-offshore wind, but again, it’s too big for the average punter.
The best on offer in this whole outlook is Saturday morning, the 25th of July. The swell drops to 8ft from the SW, with a 14-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the ENE, and the bay is clean. The energy is still strong (2556). This is the standout window. It’s solid, but not enormous, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The water temperature is 64°F, which is a bit colder than average for this time of year – about 2°F below normal, so you’ll want a good wetsuit. The crowd at Oyster Bay can be “sometimes” busy, so on a clean Saturday morning, expect company.
The rest of the run is a mixed bag of onshore winds and messy conditions. There’s a lot of poor surf through late July into early August. The wind is often strong and cross-onshore, churning the bay up. August 1st has a massive 20ft swell, but it’s completely blown out with a cross-onshore wind. The energy is very strong (12193), but it’s a washing machine. Not worth it for paddling, but if you’re into kite surfing, the setup looks more interesting.
The second week is a bit of a write-off. There’s a promising window on Thursday the 30th of July, with a morning offshore from the NNE and a 7ft SW swell, 13-second period, clean conditions. The energy is moderate (1490). This is a solid option for experienced surfers, but it’s not a massive standout. After that, the wind stays onshore and the swell gets too big again. The 2nd of August has some clean, cross-offshore winds with a 15ft S swell, but it’s too big for most.
Overall, the pick is Saturday morning, the 25th of July. It’s the best balance of size, cleanliness, and decent energy. The Friday before is too big, and everything after is either too small or too windy. For a spot that’s inconsistent, this is about as good as it gets right now.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
860 | 426 | 1377 | 2651 | 2207 | 1450 | 1392 | 744 | 1313 | 2679 | 3191 | 7797 | 5583 | 4123 | 2523 | 2209 | 1240 | 1298 | 1189 | 1249 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 7:57PM1.37m | 8:11AM1.13m | 8:45PM1.24m | 9:11AM1.03m | 9:52PM1.14m | 10:52AM0.97m | 11:31PM1.10m | 12:39PM1.01m | 00:55AM1.14m | 1:43PM1.11m | 1:51AM1.23m | 2:26PM1.22m | 2:31AM1.33m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:16AM0.49m | 2:10PM0.49m | 3:11AM0.58m | 3:06PM0.61m | 4:33AM0.64m | 4:38PM0.68m | 6:18AM0.62m | 6:31PM0.66m | 7:31AM0.54m | 7:41PM0.58m | 8:16AM0.44m | 8:25PM0.48m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 25 | 29 | 25 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | ESE 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
860 | 396 | 1377 | 2651 | 2207 | 1450 | 1392 | 744 | 945 | 91 | 3191 | 7797 | 5583 | 4123 | 2523 | 2209 | 1240 | 1298 | 1189 | 1249 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | WSW 12 | E 9 | SSW 19 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SSW 13 | E 6 | E 7 | E 9 |
400 | 426 | 346 | 281 | 226 | 186 | 200 | 203 | 247 | 14 | 1221 | 49 | 31 | 30 | 11 | 11 | 595 | 41 | 85 | 73 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SSW 16 | E 10 | — | E 9 | — | SSW 15 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | — | ESE 12 | — | — | — | ESE 11 | — | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
19 | 422 | 8 | — | 7 | — | 167 | 144 | 123 | — | 90 | — | — | — | 22 | — | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 4 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | — | — | W 3 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | 795 | 1313 | 2679 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 171 | 47 | 14 | 132 | 22 | 19 | 133 | 4 | 64 | 174 | 132 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 47 | 1 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Oyster Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Oyster Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Oyster Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Oyster 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 (Oyster 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 Oyster 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.
Oyster Bay is 24 km (15 miles) from the city of Kruisfontein. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape (South), look for hotels and other accommodation in Kruisfontein. Kruisfontein has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










