Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 17 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: Friday 24 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 1,118 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s 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 (Jul 17) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. 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 1.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk Thompsons Bay. This is a sheltered little spot, fairly consistent by nature, but the next couple weeks are gonna be a mixed bag with a lot of poor or marginal conditions. The first few days are pretty weak—Saturday morning is tiny and cross-shore, nothing to get excited about. Saturday afternoon though, the wind goes glassy, and we get a clean 2.3ft S swell with a 13-second period. That’s a small but tidy wave, and the energy reading is 416—moderate. It’s not a standout, but it’s the best early option if you’re desperate for a paddle.
Sunday and Monday see a bump in size to 4.6ft, but the wind turns cross-onshore and the conditions get choppy. The energy climbs into the 900s, but the quality drops. Tuesday morning has a clean 4.3ft SE swell with 11 seconds and light cross-shore winds, energy 507—still marginal but worth a look if you’re local. The rest of the week is mostly poor, with wind picking up and the swell direction swinging around.
Now, the one real standout in this whole run is Saturday morning, July 25. We’ve got a 5.2ft SSW swell with a very long 20-second period—that’s groundswell, deep energy. The combined energy is 2082, which is strong. Wind is light cross-onshore from the east at just 3 mph, so it’s nearly glassy. For a sheltered spot like this, that long period can make the waves a bit fat and straight at the beach, but with that size and such clean conditions, it should be fun and well-shaped for intermediate surfers. It’s the best on offer, no doubt. The next day, Sunday July 26, drops back to 3.6ft and the wind picks up, so not as good.
After that, we get a run of poor days with short-period windswell and strong winds. July 29 Wednesday morning has 6.9ft E swell at 8 seconds, cross-shore light breeze, energy 1240—moderate to strong, but that short period means lumpy, choppy waves. It’s more for experienced surfers only, and even then the quality is questionable. The rest of the first week of August is small and messy, with swells under 3ft and poor winds.
Water temperature is about average for this time of year—nothing unusual. Crowds at Thompsons Bay can pop up sometimes, but with the inconsistent conditions, it’s unlikely to be busy.
So bottom line: July 25 Saturday morning is your best bet. Get on it early. The rest is mostly wait-and
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | S 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 6 | SE 11 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 190 | 156 | 173 | 393 | 560 | 503 | 878 | 933 | 895 | 678 | 461 | 413 | 298 | 224 | 228 | 491 | 130 | 82 | 367 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:07AM1.72m | 6:37PM1.80m | 6:43AM1.62m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:05AM0.20m | 12:15PM0.10m | 00:43AM0.30m | 12:50PM0.21m | 1:20AM0.41m | 1:27PM0.34m | 2:01AM0.53m | 2:06PM0.49m | 2:49AM0.64m | 2:57PM0.64m | 4:01AM0.73m | 4:20PM0.74m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — |
 | 5:14 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 27 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | SE 12 | S 6 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 190 | 156 | 153 | 393 | 560 | 503 | 878 | 933 | 895 | 678 | 461 | 413 | 298 | 224 | 228 | 93 | 110 | 76 | 367 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | S 13 | E 10 | SSE 14 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 8 | ENE 5 | SSW 16 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | SSW 14 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | SE 11 | SE 5 |
| kJ | 178 | 153 | 173 | 118 | 239 | 198 | 133 | 49 | 68 | 24 | 17 | 90 | 88 | 51 | 223 | 167 | 32 | 82 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 15 | S 10 | SSE 14 | E 10 | SE 13 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 12 | E 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SE 12 | — | SSW 12 | NE 7 | SE 11 |
| kJ | — | 69 | 90 | 173 | 90 | 261 | 69 | 46 | 28 | 15 | 29 | 15 | 131 | 222 | 228 | — | 57 | 13 | 59 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 13 | S 6 | SE 5 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 51 | 36 | 167 | 114 | 79 | 491 | 130 | 14 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 25 | 87 | 0 | 118 | 721 | 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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