Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with 2,196 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thompsons Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thompsons Bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on offer for the coming weeks.
First up, we've only got one spot to look at, and that's Thompsons Bay. The water's sitting at 72°, which is about 1° warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing too crazy, just a bit of a pleasant surprise.
The next few days are looking pretty average, to be honest. We've got some swell around, but the wind is a real killer. Saturday the 1st is a write-off with a strong cross-onshore wind chopping up a 7ft swell, and Sunday the 2nd isn't much better. There's a big 10ft swell arriving Sunday morning, but that cross wind is going to make it a mess. The energy is seriously pumping on Sunday, but it's all for nothing with that wind. Monday the 3rd is a bit of a tease. The morning has a 7ft SE swell with a light cross-onshore breeze, but it's still not clean. The afternoon actually looks the best of a bad bunch, with a 6ft swell and an onshore wind, but it's still marginal.
Tuesday the 4th through to Saturday the 8th is a real dry spell. The swell drops right off, and the wind just keeps messing things up. You're looking at a bunch of days with poor surf conditions and less than 3ft swell. It's a proper blank run.
Now, hold onto your boards, because Sunday the 9th of August is the standout. We've got a solid 8ft swell rolling in from the SSW, but the real magic is the wind. It's a clean, cross-off breeze from the NNE, which is rare for this spot. The energy is massive, and the conditions are expected to be very good. This is the one to circle. Just note the period is a short 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit more disorganized than a proper groundswell, but with that wind, it'll be worth it. The afternoon is a no-go, though, as the wind swings to a strong SSW and the swell jumps to 15ft, making it too big and messy for anyone but the experts.
After that, the rest of the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag. We've got another big pulse of energy from the south on Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th, but the wind is just too strong and onshore to make it workable. The water will be a washing machine. There's a marginal window on the 16th of August, with a clean 3ft swell and a light cross-off breeze, but it's a long way out, so don't bet the farm on it.
So, to wrap it up: the big winner is Sunday the 9th of August, morning session at Thompsons Bay. Everything else in the next two weeks is either poor or only for the most dedicated. It's a tough run, but that one morning could be a little beauty.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Sat afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 840 | 968 | 1655 | 2039 | 2075 | 1514 | 1009 | 754 | 532 | 490 | 433 | 188 | 153 | 150 | 145 | 119 | 170 | 237 | 210 | 98 | 165 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:32PM1.85m | 5:38AM1.77m | 6:01PM1.84m | 6:08AM1.71m | 6:32PM1.78m | 6:40AM1.62m | 7:07PM1.69m | 7:18AM1.49m | 7:49PM1.56m | 8:05AM1.35m | 8:49PM1.41m | 9:22AM1.20m | 10:32PM1.30m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:17AM0.05m | 11:35PM0.18m | 11:45AM0.07m | 00:07AM0.21m | 12:15PM0.13m | 00:40AM0.27m | 12:48PM0.22m | 1:19AM0.37m | 1:26PM0.34m | 2:06AM0.50m | 2:17PM0.49m | 3:16AM0.63m | 3:39PM0.64m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 15 | SSE 5 | E 9 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 840 | 968 | 1655 | 2039 | 2075 | 1514 | 1009 | 754 | 532 | 490 | 433 | 188 | 153 | 150 | 145 | 110 | 90 | 237 | 31 | 83 | 87 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 17 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 14 | 19 | 29 | 12 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 41 | 17 | 16 | 48 | 36 | 23 | 25 | 34 | 170 | 83 | 210 | 98 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | — | — | — | SW 18 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | S 11 | — | E 10 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 9 | SE 5 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 21 | — | — | — | 12 | 24 | 25 | 50 | 8 | 2 | — | 78 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 119 | 18 | 4 | 81 | 17 | 150 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 12 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 6 | — | — | — | SSW 4 | S 5 | S 6 | — | ENE 3 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 39 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 92 | — | — | — | 20 | 73 | 59 | — | 6 | 165 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 169 | 891 | 6 | 39 | 169 | 0 | 9 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 19 | 42 | 0 | 118 | 471 | 39 | 42 | 42 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Thompsons Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Thompsons Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Thompsons Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Thompsons 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 (Thompsons 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 Thompsons 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.
Thompsons Bay is 3 km (2 miles) from the city of Ballitoville. If you plan a holiday in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ballitoville. Ballitoville has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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