Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 4,235 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with SSE 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 (Sep 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 10s. 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 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Thompsons Bay over the next couple of weeks.
The outlook is a bit of a rough one, to be honest. There’s a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind messing things up for most of the period, and the swell energy is often backed by short-period, lumpy conditions. We do have one standout window that’s worth getting excited about, but you’ve got to wait for it.
The water temperature is running about 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.
Saturday the 5th morning offers a tiny window. The swell is about 8ft from the SSE with a 9-second period and light cross-shore winds from the ENE. It’s only a marginal morning – the combined swell energy sitting at 1155 (moderate). The break is fairly consistent, but the quality is just on the edge of being worth a paddle. Crowds are *sometimes* here, so you might find a nugget if you’re keen, but it’s not the standout.
Hold out for Monday the 7th morning. That’s the one. The swell drops in from the south at 8ft, with a super long 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy, giving the waves real shape and power. The combined energy jumps to 3772 (strong), and the wind is a light offshore from the NNE, leaving the surf clean. This is a bigger day, over 8ft, so it’s for experienced surfers only. The break is sheltered and prefers swell from the SE, so this southerly energy may push in differently, but a long period like that can wrap nicely. The only downer is the offshore wind direction at 16 mph might be a bit fresh, but it’s clean. This is the best on offer by a long shot.
The rest of the week and into the second week is mostly blown out, with strong winds, onshore slop, or just poor surf conditions. There’s a gap of several days with nothing genuinely recommendable. The energy is often there, but the wind just kills it – too much cross-chop and lumpy faces.
Monday the 7th is the only standout. Get it if you can handle the size.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu night, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Fri afternoon, calm by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun night, strong winds from the NE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 333 | 949 | 1879 | 1601 | 937 | 637 | 290 | 196 | 191 | 594 | 4235 | 2374 | 890 | 463 | 458 | 374 | 307 | 879 | 770 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:30AM1.33m | 8:09PM1.32m | 8:54AM1.15m | 10:29PM1.18m | 12:09PM1.17m | 00:53AM1.29m | 1:34PM1.39m | 1:53AM1.48m | 2:20PM1.61m | 2:34AM1.65m | 2:57PM1.80m | 3:09AM1.78m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:28AM0.50m | 1:43PM0.55m | 2:38AM0.68m | 3:21PM0.74m | 5:23AM0.74m | 6:26PM0.71m | 7:14AM0.57m | 7:44PM0.51m | 8:04AM0.37m | 8:28PM0.32m | 8:41AM0.18m | 9:05PM0.17m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | 5:40 | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 25 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 333 | 62 | 49 | 1601 | 937 | 637 | 290 | 196 | 152 | 594 | 4235 | 2374 | 890 | 463 | 224 | 78 | 52 | 38 | 18 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | S 10 | E 10 | — | E 10 | E 10 | S 18 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | S 15 | S 16 |
| kJ | — | 28 | 15 | 49 | 69 | 66 | 233 | 129 | 191 | 130 | 92 | — | 31 | 31 | 6 | 28 | 11 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 17 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SE 8 | S 14 | SE 7 | — | S 20 | — | — | S 17 | S 16 | S 18 | S 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 24 | 112 | 148 | 82 | 194 | 84 | 178 | 7 | — | 7 | — | — | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | S 8 | S 9 | — | — | E 8 | — | — | — | E 10 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 309 | 949 | 1879 | — | — | 99 | — | — | — | 146 | 17 | 84 | 159 | 164 | 458 | 374 | 307 | 879 | 770 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 204 | 626 | 1267 | 763 | 42 | 1296 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 922 | 929 | 314 | 514 | 732 | 258 | 462 | 592 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North 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)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Thompsons Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest