Thompsons Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.53° S 31.22° E

Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thompsons Bay sea temperature is
21.7° C
0.2° 

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 15 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, S swell with 1,010 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 11s 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s is also forecast. 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 2.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 16th Jul)6ft (1.8m) 11s
Best Surf11PM (Sun 19th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 12s
Most Powerful 5AM (Mon 20th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the line for us.

Alright, Thompsons Bay, it's a fairly consistent spot, but honestly, this stretch ain't looking too flash for a while. The first real glimmer of something decent is a long way off, so we've got a big gap of quiet days to get through first.

The early part of the run, from Thursday the 16th through to the end of the weekend, is pretty much a write-off. We've got some swell around, a bit of energy from the east with readings around 5 ft Thursday morning, but the wind is straight onshore from the SE. That's going to wreck it. It stays messy and cross-onshore or cross-shore through the weekend, with the swell dropping off. The 19th sees a bit of a pulse from the south, with combined energy of 927, but it's blown out by a moderate cross-onshore breeze. Not worth paddling out for.

The week after that, from Monday the 20th through to Thursday the 24th, is just more of the same story. The wind is all over the shop, mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping the surface choppy and lumpy. There's a bit of groundswell trying to push through, but the conditions just aren't there to make it user-friendly. You'd be fighting a losing battle.

Now, the standout. Mark your calendar for Tuesday the 21st. That morning, it’s going to be glassy. Absolutely dead calm with a NNE breeze at just 3 mph. The swell will be a small 3 ft from the SSE, but with that glassy surface, the wave quality will be the best we see in this whole period. It's a sheltered spot, so with the wind off, it'll be pristine. The combined energy is a moderate 420, and the period is a solid 11 seconds, so it's a proper groundswell that’ll have some shape. It won't be big, but it will be the cleanest wave in the bay. An intermediate-friendly size and likely the only real window of quality.

Late in the month, we get another chance on Saturday the 25th. Another glassy morning, with a tiny 3 ft south swell pushing in. The combined energy is 385. It's surfable, but very ordinary. And then the very end of the run, on Wednesday the 29th, the afternoon session is looking glassy again with a 2 ft south swell. Again, small, but clean.

So, the bottom line is this: the whole 16-day window is a waiting game. The one and only true standout is the morning of Tuesday the 21st. Get out there for the glassy conditions, because before that and after that, it's mostly a lot of wind-affected, poor-quality surf. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing crazy to report there.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wed
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
2
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.8
E
11
1.6
E
10
1.4
E
10
1.2
E
10
1.2
E
10
1.1
E
10
1
E
10
1
E
10
0.7
S
13
1.3
S
12
1.4
S
13
1.4
SSE
11
2.1
S
11
1
SSE
12
1.2
S
9
0.9
SSE
11
0.8
SSE
11
0.7
SSW
12
0.9
SSW
13
1.1
SSW
14
0.8
S
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
723
530
392
279
279
234
190
192
170
477
704
455
999
256
229
183
146
140
238
465
373
Wind (km/h)
10
W
5
SE
10
SE
10
NW
10
S
5
SSE
5
WNW
10
NE
15
NE
10
WSW
20
S
25
SSW
15
SW
15
ENE
25
NE
10
NNW
5
NNE
20
SSW
15
WSW
5
SSE
10
ESE
Wind State
cross-off
on
on
off
cross-on
glassy
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
on
High Tide
4:53AM1.83m
5:20PM1.90m
5:31AM1.80m
5:59PM1.87m
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
Low Tide
10:45PM0.11m
11:02AM0.01m
11:26PM0.14m
11:39AM0.03m
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
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:48
6:48
6:47
6:47
6:46
6:46
6:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:13
5:14
5:14
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:16
 mm
Temp °C
20
20
20
19
19
20
18
21
22
22
21
21
20
21
21
19
27
25
19
21
21
Feels °C
19
20
18
19
18
19
19
19
20
21
18
18
18
19
17
17
25
22
19
21
20
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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