
Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, S swell with 2,624 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thompsons Bay in the next 16 days are 2.1m 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+) | 11PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be honest, looking at the next sixteen days for Thompsons Bay, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s currently sitting at a crisp 68°, which is a touch cooler than we’d usually expect for this time of year, about 3° off the mark. Early on, there’s some moderate-sized swell around, but the winds are just not playing ball. We get a few small windows of something clean, but a lot of this period is going to be blown out and messy.
The first real chance for a wave comes on Thursday, September 3rd, with a morning session at Thompsons Bay. We’ve got a small, clean 2ft swell from the SSW, and a light NW cross-offshore breeze keeps things looking tidy. The energy is moderate at 436, but the report flags it as marginal, so keep your expectations in check.
That’s about as good as it gets for a while. From Thursday afternoon all the way through the weekend and into the middle of the next week, we’re looking at a long run of poor conditions. The wind is howling, mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the waves are choppy and messy. We see a big 12ft S swell on Friday afternoon with a strong breeze, but it’s unsurfable. There’s a slight glimmer on Saturday, September 5th, with a chest-high 8ft SSE swell and a lighter wind, but it’s still cross-onshore, leaving it choppy.
The week that follows is more of the same. We’ve got a huge long-period south swell arriving on Monday, September 7th, with a period of 17 seconds and a massive combined energy reading of 2941, but that fresh cross-shore wind and lumpy chop ruin it. The same goes for the following week.
The only real standout in this entire run lands on Monday, September 14th. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the S with a very long 15-second period, and a combined energy of 3307, which is strong. The wind is light and cross-shore, meaning it should be clean. This is big, powerful groundswell – over 8ft, so it’s strictly for experienced surfers only. That long period will make it line up and unload, and it’s going to be best out at the points and reefs rather than just the beach, as it’ll have a lot of energy. The afternoon gets a bit windier, but the morning looks promising. It's far out, so the forecast could shift, but right now that’s the one to circle.
The last few days of the outlook drop back into poor, windy conditions with strong cross-shore breezes and messy wave faces. The long gap of unrideable surf in between means you’ll have to be patient.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 34°C on Thu morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Fri afternoon, calm by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Sun morning, strong winds from the ENE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | E 9 | S 11 | SSW 22 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
192 | 566 | 374 | 773 | 2005 | 2016 | 1026 | 760 | 286 | 196 | 223 | 480 | 2624 | 1963 | 659 | 326 | 726 | 518 | 344 | 640 | 533 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:13PM1.53m | 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 | 12:54PM0.35m | 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 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 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 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 34 | 34 | 30 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 29 | 30 | 24 | 19 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
192 | 119 | 368 | 80 | 49 | 1704 | 1026 | 760 | 286 | 196 | 185 | 157 | 2624 | 1963 | 659 | 326 | 239 | 83 | 38 | 17 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | — | — | E 9 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 15 | — | E 11 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 |
79 | — | — | 54 | 15 | 50 | 71 | 71 | 277 | 140 | 223 | 130 | 209 | — | 21 | 13 | 13 | 29 | 24 | 21 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 17 | S 15 | S 14 | S 9 | SSW 11 | SE 8 | SSW 22 | — | — | SW 20 | — | — | S 17 | S 17 | S 16 | SW 15 |
— | — | — | — | — | 23 | 112 | 104 | 63 | 194 | 88 | 480 | — | — | 15 | — | — | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
165 | 566 | 374 | 773 | 2005 | 2016 | — | 99 | — | — | — | — | 108 | 290 | 286 | 313 | 726 | 518 | 344 | 640 | 533 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 258 | 277 | 172 | 626 | 2586 | 93 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 750 | 750 | 314 | 514 | 929 | 42 | 373 | 373 | 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.










