Thompsons Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.53° S 31.22° E

Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thompsons Bay sea temperature is
21.6° C
0.3° 

Thompsons Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 17s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 3,649 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with SSW 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s 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 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 22nd Aug)3ft (0.9m) 11s
Best Surf 8PM (Wed 26th Aug)8ft (2.4m) 17s
Most Powerful11PM (Wed 26th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here, taking a look at what we've got for Thompsons Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it's a real mixed bag and mostly a frustrating watch. The water temp is sitting at about 71°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The main issue is the wind; it just won’t play nice for most of the run.

We kick off on Friday the 21st, and it’s a bit of a tease. There’s a 4ft south swell, but the easterly cross-onshore breeze is messing it up. The swell energy is moderate at 419, but it’s not worth getting wet for.

The best window in the whole 16-day outlook is actually on Saturday the 22nd in the afternoon. The wind swings northerly, going cross-offshore and clean. The swell drops a touch to 3ft from the SSW, but the energy jumps up to a solid 923 and the period is a nice 15 seconds – that's proper groundswell. For a sheltered spot like this, that combination of glassy conditions and a clean south swell is about as good as it gets. You could paddle out and find some fun lines.

After that tiny window, it mostly turns into a write-off. Sunday the 23rd pumps up to 8ft, but it’s howling southerly cross-on. That’s too much wind for the size, making it a lumpy mess. Monday the 24th is flat and choppy.

There’s a few more marginal moments, like the afternoon of Tuesday the 26th with a solid 6ft south swell and a very long 17-second period. The energy is strong at 1631, and the wind is light and onshore – but that could clean up a bit. It’s a gamble. Then the wind just goes nuts from the 27th onwards, with strong to near-gale cross-shore breezes accompanying some very big, messy swell (over 8ft and over 10ft at times). That’s expert-only territory, and with that wind, it’s not even a good look for experts unless you’re on a tow-in sled, but more realistically, that setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

There’s a gap of terrible conditions from the 23rd all the way through to the end of the first week of September. The forecast for the first week of September is bleak – small, wind-chopped slop. The only other flicker is the afternoon of Sunday the 30th of August. It’s a big 12ft south swell with only a light cross-onshore breeze, but the period is a short 9 seconds and the wind state is still lumpy. Don't count on it.

So, in short: mark your calendar for the afternoon of Saturday the 22nd for Thompsons Bay. That’s your one true standout. Everything else is either blown out, too big for the conditions, or flat. It's a lean run.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sat night, light winds from the NNW by Sun night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon).

Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
3
4
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SSW
11
0.8
S
14
0.9
SSW
15
3.5
SSW
9
2.3
S
9
2
S
9
1.4
S
10
0.7
SSW
10
0.8
SSE
8
0.7
SSE
9
0.7
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
S
16
1.9
S
18
2.5
S
17
1.7
S
14
1.6
S
13
2
S
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
217
239
375
1817
912
621
362
106
90
84
263
500
1045
901
2242
3523
1094
915
2267
Wind (km/h)
15
NNE
15
NE
10
NNE
35
SSW
30
S
20
S
5
NNW
15
ENE
15
ENE
10
WSW
10
SSE
10
S
10
SW
15
S
5
SE
10
NNE
25
ENE
40
NE
25
NNE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
9:26PM1.10m
12:05PM1.03m
00:56AM1.14m
1:46PM1.18m
1:54AM1.29m
2:23PM1.35m
2:28AM1.45m
2:51PM1.52m
2:57AM1.60m
3:18PM1.67m
3:24AM1.72m
3:43PM1.81m
3:50AM1.81m
Low Tide
4:44AM0.84m
6:12PM0.85m
7:29AM0.73m
7:45PM0.71m
8:10AM0.56m
8:22PM0.55m
8:39AM0.40m
8:52PM0.40m
9:05AM0.25m
9:19PM0.27m
9:31AM0.13m
9:46PM0.16m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:20
6:20
6:18
6:18
6:16
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:34
5:34
5:35
5:35
5:36
5:36
5:37
 mm
Temp °C
19
27
34
20
20
19
19
20
20
18
19
19
19
19
20
19
21
21
20
Feels °C
20
25
31
13
15
15
19
18
18
19
19
18
19
18
20
19
18
16
16
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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