Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, S swell with 3,217 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with E 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 9s is also forecast. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s 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 11s 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, it's Rusty here. Let's be honest, this 16-day stretch for Thompsons Bay is a real struggle. There's nothing on offer that I'd call a good surf session. The forecast is a long, flat run of poor conditions with no standout options. The first few days are a write-off, and honestly, the whole period looks like a grind.
We're looking at a gap here that starts now and runs all the way through. The first chance for anything is a spot on Wednesday morning, the 12th of August, but even that's only a marginal call. You'll see a 7ft swell from the ESE, but with a short period of 8 seconds, it's not going to have much shape. The wind is cross-offshore from the WSW at 15 mph, which keeps it clean, but the combined wave energy is strong (1508). It's a beach-and-reef setup, and with that wind and swell, it might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The water temp is about 71°, which is pretty average for this time of year.
The outlook is grim. Most days have cross-onshore winds in the 9 to 22 mph range, making the surf lumpy and choppy. There's a brief moment of glassy conditions on the morning of Saturday the 15th of August, with a 5ft easterly swell and a 9-second period, but the combined energy is weak (304) and the waves are described as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It's not worth getting excited about. The rest of the days are either poor or marginal, with no real quality.
For a spot that's fairly consistent, this is a bad run. But it won't stay poor forever. Just a rough patch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Sun night, light winds from the SSW by Tue night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 | E 10 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 8 | S 9 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 162 | 85 | 143 | 98 | 83 | 99 | 188 | 206 | 154 | 140 | 1454 | 1933 | 3217 | 1787 | 1236 | 864 | 493 | 660 | 1024 | 924 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:10PM1.72m | 3:24AM1.77m | 3:49PM1.88m | 4:01AM1.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:55AM0.22m | 9:16PM0.20m | 9:33AM0.07m | 9:55PM0.10m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 28 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 16 | ENE 7 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 121 | 85 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 87 | 140 | 132 | 154 | 90 | 58 | 44 | 62 | 62 | 81 | 102 | 493 | 660 | 1024 | 924 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 |
| kJ | 162 | 80 | 34 | 98 | 57 | 99 | 24 | 116 | 76 | 140 | — | — | — | — | 49 | 218 | 372 | 189 | 106 | 61 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 14 | S 6 | SSE 5 | SSW 12 | SSE 6 | E 10 | SE 8 | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | SSW 15 | SSW 11 | E 10 | ENE 9 | S 24 | SSW 21 |
| kJ | 17 | 9 | 143 | 15 | 9 | 45 | 8 | 47 | 14 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 72 | 68 | 181 | 27 | 11 | 43 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 6 | — | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 5 | S 5 | SSW 8 | S 9 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 82 | 74 | — | — | 1 | 18 | 188 | 206 | 36 | 28 | 1454 | 1933 | 3217 | 1787 | 1236 | 864 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 172 | 6 | 19 | 118 | 0 | 42 | 258 | 0 | 116 | 2585 | 897 | 763 | 443 | 39 | 258 | 93 | 6 | 87 | 941 | 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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