Thompsons Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.53° S 31.22° E

Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thompsons Bay sea temperature is
22.8° C
1.0° 

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 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, S swell with 1,355 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. 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 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Sun 19th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Sun 19th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 12s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sat 25th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for our shores. While there's some swell on the charts, the wind is just not playing ball, and the good days are few and far between.

Let's look at the one spot we've got, Thompsons Bay. It's a fairly consistent break, sheltered from the big stuff, but it needs a clean offshore wind to really shine. Right now, that's not happening.

The water temp is sitting at 73°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so you won't need a thick steamer.

We kick off on Sunday, July 19th with a pulse of 5ft SSE swell. The combined energy is moderate (960), and the 12-second period is decent. But the wind is a light cross-shore from the NE, which just messes up the face. It's a marginal call, and honestly, not worth paddling out for.

The rest of the week is a write-off. Monday the 20th gets a little bigger, 6ft to 7ft, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore and strong, making it a choppy, bumpy mess. Tuesday through Thursday is more of the same: small, weak swell (344 to 890 combined energy) with cross-shore winds that kill any chance of a clean wave. The swell drops right off.

Saturday, July 25th is the first little glimmer. The morning has a 4ft south swell with a very long 15-second period (moderate energy at 767). The wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the NE, which is clean. South swell at a sheltered spot isn't ideal, but if you're desperate, that morning window might offer a few long lines. The long period means it'll be better on the points than the beach.

After that, it's back to poor conditions. The wind gets howling again, and the swell direction flips around. For the next week, it's all cross-shore, lumpy, and poor. The only other thing to note is Wednesday, July 29th in the afternoon. There's a big 7ft to 7ft south swell rolling in with a very long 16-second period, and the combined energy is massive (2287). The wind is offshore from the WSW, which is clean. This is a big, powerful groundswell. For an expert, this could be a proper session if the tide lines up, but it's a long way out and the forecast isn't super solid yet. For the average surfer, 7ft+ with that much energy is a handful.

The very end of the window, Sunday, August 2nd in the morning, shows an 8ft ENE swell with a 10-second period and a massive combined energy of 2468. The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NE. At 8ft, that's expert territory, and the ENE direction isn't perfect for this spot. It's something to watch, but with the wind being cross-shore, it's still a gamble.

Overall, if you're looking for a clean, fun surf, this is a tough stretch. The best bet is the morning of Saturday, July 25th for a small clean window, or the afternoon of Wednesday, July 29th if you're a local charger and willing to gamble on a big, clean swell. Don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Sun
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
3
0
2
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
3
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
SSE
12
1.8
SE
12
2
SSE
12
1.9
SE
12
1.6
SE
12
1.4
SE
12
1.3
SE
12
1.2
SE
12
0.9
SSW
15
1.1
SE
12
0.9
SE
12
0.8
SE
12
2.4
SSW
8
2.3
SSW
9
1.8
S
10
1.7
S
11
1.6
S
16
1.2
S
15
1.1
S
17
0.7
SSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
583
933
1135
1082
683
546
494
396
361
314
259
161
627
885
618
649
1355
614
724
228
Wind (km/h)
10
NE
10
NW
25
SSW
5
SE
5
NNW
10
ENE
20
NE
10
N
15
ENE
20
NE
5
NNW
30
SSW
30
SSW
20
SSW
25
SSW
30
SSW
5
SE
15
NE
30
NE
20
N
Wind State
cross
off
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
7:13PM1.68m
7:19AM1.49m
7:51PM1.55m
7:58AM1.35m
8:34PM1.40m
8:48AM1.22m
9:34PM1.27m
10:13AM1.12m
11:13PM1.20m
12:20PM1.12m
00:56AM1.24m
1:42PM1.22m
1:58AM1.34m
Low Tide
1:20AM0.41m
1:27PM0.34m
2:01AM0.53m
2:06PM0.49m
2:49AM0.64m
2:57PM0.64m
4:01AM0.73m
4:20PM0.74m
5:53AM0.74m
6:20PM0.75m
7:24AM0.66m
7:40PM0.66m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
cloud
clear
mod rain
light rain
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:46
6:46
6:45
6:45
6:45
6:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:16
5:17
5:19
 mm
1
6
1
Temp °C
21
19
20
20
18
19
21
19
21
24
21
21
21
20
19
20
19
18
19
18
Feels °C
20
20
16
18
18
18
19
19
18
21
20
17
18
17
17
16
17
16
15
14
  • 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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