Thompsons Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.53° S 31.22° E

Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 27 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thompsons Bay sea temperature is
22.4° C
0.8° 

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 27 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, E swell with 1,546 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Sat 1st Aug)6ft (1.9m) 9s
Best Surf 8PM (Sun 2nd Aug)8ft (2.5m) 11s
Most Powerful 8PM (Sun 2nd Aug)8ft (2.5m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for Thompsons Bay over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be honest, the first week is a tough one to love. We’ve got a lot of energy in the water, but the wind is just not playing ball today.

The surf shows up right off the bat on Monday morning, the 27th of July. You’re looking at a 5 ft NE swell, but it’s a short, weak period of just 6 seconds and the combined energy is only reading 532 (moderate). The wind is a light offshore from the SE, which is a nice touch, but the setup is called “marginal” and the score is low. It’s a bit of a tease.

From Monday afternoon all the way through to the end of July, the conditions are a write-off. The wind is consistently cross or cross-on from the SSW, with speeds from 9 mph up to a windy 22 mph. The swell builds, hitting 8 ft on Thursday the 30th, but it’s a short-period S-SSE swell with a strong cross-shore chop. The energy is huge (over 1000 on the 30th), but it’s all for nothing with that wind. That 8 ft is expert-only territory anyway, and with the wind ruining it, it’s a hard pass.

The first week of August is pretty much a write-off too. The first couple of days of August are still messy with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. The 2nd of August (Sunday) shows a slight improvement, with a 7 ft ESE swell and light cross-shore winds, but the wave comment is still “marginal”. The afternoon of the 2nd pushes up to 8 ft with a much-longer 11-second period from the E, and the energy spikes to 1419 (strong), but it’s still a marginal call. The 3rd of August (Monday) is similar, with E swells around 7-8 ft and a 10-second period, with light ENE winds, but still not good enough to get a proper score.

The standout window, if you can call it that, is the 2nd and 3rd of August. The swell direction (E) is the opposite of the optimum (SE) for this sheltered spot, so the quality is questionable. The water temperature is 72°F, which is about average for the time of year, with an anomaly of just 1°F. Not a big deal.

After the 3rd, it’s back to poor conditions. The wind picks up again on the 4th, and the swell drops. The second week is a long stretch of nothing special. The 7th of August (Friday) has a tiny 2 ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period, which sounds great in theory, but the wind is onshore or cross-on, and the energy is low. The 9th has a 8 ft S swell with a short 7-second period, but the wind is a strong 25 mph cross-shore, making it a mess. That’s more for the kite surfers than us.

The 11th of August (Tuesday) is the last gasp, with a 4 ft S swell at 15 seconds, but a strong 28 mph cross-shore wind kills it.

So, the honest truth is we’ve got a pretty grim 16 days ahead. The first few days are just a battle against the wind, and the second week is a mix of small, weak swells and strong winds. There’s no real standout session. The best bet is to keep an eye on the 2nd and 3rd of August, but even then, it’s a gamble. Sometimes the forecasts change, so don’t lose hope completely.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Mon morning, strong winds from the SSW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sat night).

Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
NE
6
0.5
S
14
0.4
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
18
0.7
SSW
16
2.5
S
9
2.2
SSE
8
2.1
SSE
9
1.9
SSE
9
2.2
SSE
9
2.5
S
8
2.5
S
9
2.4
S
8
2.2
SE
8
1.9
SE
8
1.9
ESE
8
1.9
ESE
9
1.9
ESE
9
2.2
ESE
9
2.5
E
11
2.4
E
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
220
97
87
438
266
1070
694
632
522
740
1038
1003
706
682
511
524
512
579
807
1386
1271
Wind (km/h)
5
SE
15
SSW
20
SW
15
SSW
25
SSW
30
SW
25
SSW
30
SW
15
SW
35
SSW
35
SSW
30
SW
35
SSW
30
SSW
20
SW
25
SSW
20
SSW
15
W
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
NW
Wind State
on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
on
off
High Tide
3:06PM1.47m
3:14AM1.57m
3:37PM1.59m
3:44AM1.67m
4:07PM1.69m
4:13AM1.74m
4:35PM1.78m
4:41AM1.78m
5:03PM1.83m
5:09AM1.80m
5:32PM1.85m
5:38AM1.77m
6:01PM1.84m
Low Tide
8:54AM0.41m
9:05PM0.43m
9:25AM0.29m
9:37PM0.33m
9:54AM0.19m
10:07PM0.25m
10:22AM0.11m
10:36PM0.20m
10:49AM0.07m
11:06PM0.17m
11:17AM0.05m
11:35PM0.18m
11:45AM0.07m
00:07AM0.21m
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
thunderstorm
heavy rain
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:20
5:20
5:21
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:22
 mm
3
2
2
18
2
1
1
2
Temp °C
19
21
20
20
19
17
17
15
15
18
19
18
18
19
18
17
18
18
18
19
17
Feels °C
17
19
17
18
16
10
13
10
11
12
11
12
11
12
14
12
13
15
15
16
17
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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