Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, S swell with 1,114 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period with SE 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thompsons Bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's chew the fat on Thompsons Bay. I gotta be straight, this 16-day stretch is a tough one. We're gonna have a long dry spell, but there's a blip of hope right at the start.
We kick off on Monday, August 3rd, with the most promising swell of the whole run. It's not a classic, but it's the only game in town. There's a 7ft swell from the southeast, with an 11-second period giving it some oomph (1150). The water's sitting at 71°, which is about average for the time of year. The problem is the wind – it's a light onshore from the SSE at 6 mph. It's not wrecking it, but it's not clean. The morning offers the best window with that light breeze. The afternoon looks better wind-wise, with a light offshore-ish from the ESE, but the swell drops to 6ft. The ratings are low, but if you're desperate, Monday morning is your best shot. It's a sheltered spot, so it needs that specific direction, and the SE swell is bang on.
From Tuesday the 4th onward, it's a rough road. The wind swings around and stays onshore or cross-shore for days, and the swell gets all mixed up and messy. By Wednesday the 5th, the swell drops to 3ft, and the wind is just not playing ball. This continues right through the first week. The energy is weak, and the conditions are poor.
The second week doesn't look much better. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th see a bit of a bump in size – 5ft to 6ft from the east-northeast – but it's still cross-shore or cross-on, and the period is short, around 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (between 417 and 892), but the wind is just not cooperating. It's all a bit junky and not worth getting wet for.
The only true standout, and I mean the only one, is that Monday morning, August 3rd. The swell is solid for an intermediate surfer, but at 7ft it's getting a bit heavy for beginners. The southeast swell is the best direction for this spot, and while the wind isn't glassy, it's light. The crowds are listed as "sometimes", so you might have some company, but it won't be packed. The rest of the 16 days, honestly, I'd find another hobby. The surf just isn't worth the effort.
Stay patient, and keep an eye on those forecasts. Things can change. But for now, treat Monday morning as your only real shot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 18°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 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) | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 16 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSW 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1107 | 769 | 532 | 520 | 427 | 192 | 197 | 184 | 154 | 180 | 170 | 83 | 105 | 98 | 85 | 116 | 201 | 245 | 181 | 81 | 379 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 6:32PM1.78m | 6:40AM1.62m | 7:07PM1.69m | 7:18AM1.49m | 7:49PM1.56m | 8:05AM1.35m | 8:49PM1.41m | 9:22AM1.20m | 10:32PM1.30m | 11:42AM1.17m | 00:36AM1.35m | 1:26PM1.32m | 1:52AM1.49m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:15PM0.13m | 00:40AM0.27m | 12:48PM0.22m | 1:19AM0.37m | 1:26PM0.34m | 2:06AM0.50m | 2:17PM0.49m | 3:16AM0.63m | 3:39PM0.64m | 5:15AM0.68m | 5:52PM0.66m | 7:06AM0.57m | 7:31PM0.52m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |  |  | |
 | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 5 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 1107 | 769 | 532 | 520 | 427 | 192 | 197 | 184 | 154 | 120 | 122 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 34 | 116 | 92 | 245 | 181 | 81 | 83 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | E 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 | S 5 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 6 | NE 7 |
| kJ | 18 | 17 | 41 | 17 | 16 | 83 | 25 | 20 | 29 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 105 | 98 | 85 | 15 | 201 | 118 | 69 | 36 | 21 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | S 13 | — | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ENE 6 | — |
| kJ | 25 | 50 | 8 | 13 | — | 14 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 180 | 170 | 5 | 13 | 6 | 57 | 46 | 18 | 25 | 11 | 15 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | — | NE 6 | — | NE 6 | SSW 2 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 5 | SSW 5 | NE 5 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | SSW 5 | — | SSW 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 10 | 33 | — | 33 | — | 56 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 34 | 47 | 1 | 19 | 111 | 22 | — | 379 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 118 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 9 | 42 | 0 | 25 | 472 | 0 | 6 | 87 | 0 | 42 | 514 | 0 | 118 | 118 | 39 |
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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