Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, S swell with 3,145 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period with ESE 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 4s is also forecast. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
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 cookin’ for Thompsons Bay over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with ya – this is a tough stretch. The forecast is a long, dry spell of poor surf conditions, and it’s not until we get a long way out that we see a tiny glimmer of something rideable.
The biggest issue is the wind. For the first ten days, it’s a constant battle of cross-shore, cross-onshore, and some real strong breezes that are gonna chop the surface up something fierce. The swell is around, but it’s just not coming together with the wind. The combined energy of all swells is moderate to weak for most of that period (values between 149 and 495), but it doesn’t matter because the wind’s blowing it all to hell.
We do have a pulse of serious size on the 10th and 11th of August. Monday the 10th see’s the swell jump to 13 ft from the South, with a combined energy of 2837. That’s some serious water moving, but it’s accompanied by a near gale and heavy rain. Not a paddle session, that’s for sure. Tuesday the 11th is still pumping at 12 ft to 10 ft from the SSE, but again, strong cross-shore winds are making it a mess. At that size and with those winds, this is looking more like a kiteboarder’s playground than anything for a surfboard. The Thursday the 13th offers a bit of relief with a cross-off shore wind and a 5 ft swell from the SE, but the conditions are still rated as poor.
The one and only standout in this whole 16-day window is Friday morning, August 14th. For that one morning, the wind goes glassy, swinging to a light southerly at 3 mph. It’s gonna be clean. The swell is a modest 4 ft from the SE with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is 257. It’s not gonna be a world-class day, but it will be the most pleasant surf of the fortnight. The water temp is currently 71°, which is about average for the time of year, so no need for a thick suit.
So, to sum it up: if you’re desperate for a paddle, circle the 14th of August on your calendar. Get there early for the glassy morning, because the wind picks up again in the afternoon with a light cross-shore chop. It’s a short window, but it’s the only time the bay is gonna look friendly. Beyond that, the forecast is a bit of a write-off, with clean conditions hard to come by. That’s the way it goes sometimes.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the S by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, strong winds from the SSW by Sun afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | NE 7 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 455 | 192 | 197 | 184 | 154 | 120 | 162 | 94 | 104 | 109 | 83 | 85 | 149 | 289 | 206 | 162 | 1313 | 2794 | 3145 | 2891 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | cross | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:07PM1.69m | 7:18AM1.49m | 7:49PM1.56m | 8:05AM1.35m | 8:49PM1.41m | 9:22AM1.20m | 10:32PM1.30m | 11:42AM1.17m | 00:36AM1.35m | 1:26PM1.32m | 1:52AM1.49m | 2:25PM1.53m | 2:43AM1.65m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:19AM0.37m | 1:26PM0.34m | 2:06AM0.50m | 2:17PM0.49m | 3:16AM0.63m | 3:39PM0.64m | 5:15AM0.68m | 5:52PM0.66m | 7:06AM0.57m | 7:31PM0.52m | 8:10AM0.39m | 8:30PM0.35m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |  |  |  |  | |
 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 16 | 10 |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 27 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 28 | 29 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 15 |
Feels °C | 19 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 24 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 455 | 192 | 197 | 184 | 154 | 120 | 121 | 83 | 83 | 109 | 83 | 85 | 121 | 212 | 206 | 162 | 81 | 43 | 49 | 68 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | E 11 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | NE 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 16 | 83 | 22 | 18 | 47 | 26 | 162 | 94 | 104 | 98 | 7 | 11 | 149 | 120 | 102 | 155 | 20 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 7 | E 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 14 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 119 | 15 | 9 | 25 | 10 | 57 | 53 | 40 | 19 | 1 | 108 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 5 | S 6 | — | E 2 | NE 4 | — | ENE 4 | NE 7 | SW 2 | S 5 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 |
| kJ | 7 | 19 | 54 | 46 | 126 | 66 | 43 | 56 | — | 1 | 27 | — | 11 | 289 | 1 | 70 | 1313 | 2794 | 3145 | 2891 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 42 | 0 | 12 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 116 | 6 | 22 | 42 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 258 | 626 | 2585 | 314 | 1267 | 1308 | 776 |
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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