
Surf Forecasts:
Oyster Bay surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 13s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 1,408 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 13s period with SW 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 1.6m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Oyster Bay in the next 16 days are 2.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Oyster Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer at Oyster Bay. This is a bit of a tricky forecast, with a long wait for the real good stuff, but there’s a diamond or two in the rough if you’re patient.
The first real surfable window kicks off Wednesday the 29th of July, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid 7 ft swell from the southwest, with a nice 13-second period pushing a lot of energy (1913). Thing is, the wind is howling out of the east at 22 mph, cross-off sure, but it’s a fresh breeze that’s going to put a bit of a chop on the surface. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is about 1° cooler than the average for this time of year, so it’s pretty normal, nothing to worry about in terms of a wetsuit choice. Wednesday afternoon the swell drops a touch to 6 ft, and the wind eases a bit, but it’s still a moderate breeze. It’s surfable, but it’s not the best time to be out there.
Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st see the swell slowly backing off, from 6 ft down to 4 ft by Friday afternoon. The wind stays cross-off, but it’s getting stronger again on Friday, with a strong breeze of 25 mph. The energy drops right off too, down to 864 by Friday afternoon. Honestly, Friday arvo is a write-off.
Saturday the 1st of August looks a bit weird. The swell jumps back up to 8 ft overnight, but the period drops right out to a short 8-second wind swell from the east. The energy is moderate (1078-1106), but the wind is a fresh 19-22 mph cross-off. This one is for the experienced guys only, and even then, it’s going to be a bit of a battle with the wind and short-period chop.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Sunday the 2nd of August is the standout of the first week. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph out of the northeast in the morning, switching to a glassy southeast in the afternoon. The swell is a solid 6 ft to 6 ft from the east-southeast, with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate (943-1008), but the conditions are going to be *clean*. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions” and “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is the one to circle. The early glass-off is going to be magic. Remember, this break is inconsistent, so when it bowls in like this, you don’t want to miss it, and crowds are possible.
Monday the 3rd of August is another gem. The wind goes completely calm, glassy, in the morning. The swell is back to 5 ft from the southwest, but with a long 13-second period, pushing decent energy (1173). The morning session is going be pure glass. The afternoon picks up a light cross-shore breeze, but it’s still a good option.
After Monday, we hit a big dry spell. From Tuesday the 4th of August, the wind turns cross-onshore and the swell quality just tanks. The conditions are rated as poor right through to the end of the second week. The waves get big again, but the wind is on it, making it messy. The swell on the 6th and 7th of August is huge – 10 ft to 12 ft spinning up massive energy (2691 to 5731), but it’s too big for this break, and the wind is wrong. At that size, with the wind from the west, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The next real glimmer of hope comes on Tuesday the 11th of August. The wind finally goes offshore out of the north-northeast, a light 6 mph breeze. The swell is a clean 8 ft from the east with a 10-second period, pushing a good amount of energy (1320). The forecast is calling it excellent for experienced surfers. This is your second-week standout. The morning will be the cleanest, with the afternoon wind turning cross-off from the east. It’s a long way off, so don’t bank on it, but it’s the one to keep an eye on.
The rest of the second week from the 12th onwards is a mix of poor conditions and marginal surf with the wrong wind. There’s a big, long-period groundswell (19 seconds) on the 12th, but it’s cross-onshore, making it a mess. The 13th has a 7 ft SW swell, but again, onshore wind.
So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Sunday the 2nd of August for the glassy, clean conditions, and then look to Tuesday the 11th of August for a promising but less certain offshore window. Be patient, and be ready for that Sunday glass.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Wed night, strong winds from the E by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Sat morning, calm by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | E 9 | E 9 | SW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1387 | 1347 | 1327 | 1110 | 996 | 919 | 732 | 496 | 767 | 877 | 908 | 1059 | 547 | 505 | 698 | 673 | 802 | 624 | 300 | 240 | 266 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 4:02PM1.51m | 4:06AM1.53m | 4:30PM1.58m | 4:34AM1.56m | 4:58PM1.62m | 5:03AM1.55m | 5:27PM1.64m | 5:33AM1.52m | 5:56PM1.63m | 6:04AM1.46m | 6:29PM1.58m | 6:40AM1.38m | 7:06PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:49AM0.16m | 10:04PM0.24m | 10:17AM0.10m | 10:33PM0.20m | 10:44AM0.07m | 11:03PM0.18m | 11:11AM0.06m | 11:34PM0.18m | 11:39AM0.09m | 00:06AM0.21m | 12:10PM0.15m | 00:42AM0.26m | 12:44PM0.24m | 1:24AM0.34m | |||||||
7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
— | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | E 10 | SW 13 | SW 12 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
1387 | 1347 | 1327 | 1110 | 996 | 919 | 732 | 496 | 281 | 161 | 123 | 790 | 547 | 505 | 698 | 496 | 802 | 624 | 300 | 240 | 194 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 15 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 |
— | 627 | 280 | 318 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 40 | 75 | 295 | 380 | 488 | 367 | 673 | 394 | 288 | 242 | 198 | 266 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SSW 16 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 16 | 15 | 275 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 218 | 186 | 171 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 9 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | WSW 4 | W 4 |
526 | 340 | 395 | — | 440 | 508 | 502 | 368 | 767 | 877 | 908 | 1059 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 14 | 41 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 189 | 189 | 0 | 47 | 189 | 47 | 163 | 189 | 132 | 132 | 171 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 2 |
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.










