Thompsons Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.53° S 31.22° E

Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thompsons Bay sea temperature is
22.2° C
0.4° 

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, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 14s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 18s period, S swell with 1,591 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period with S 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 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 14s. 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 1.6m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be 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 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sun 19th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 12s
Best Surf 8AM (Sun 19th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 14s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sat 25th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, here’s the deal with Thompsons Bay. It’s a sheltered little nook, so it’s picky about which swells it lets in. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re in for a real rollercoaster – some absolute gems, but also plenty of flat spells and wind-blown junk.

The clear winner is this coming Sunday morning, July 19th. Skies are clear, the wind is dead glassy from the ESE at just 3 mph, and we’ve got a solid 5ft swell from the south with a 12-second period. Water temp is normal for the season. The energy is strong at 1003 (moderate wave energy), and the conditions are perfect. This is the only time in the whole forecast where everything clicks. It’ll be clean, fun, and glassy. Just remember, crowds can show up here sometimes, so get down early.

After Sunday afternoon, it’s a mess. The wind picks up and swings around, the swell direction changes, and the quality tanks. Monday the 20th brings a bigger 7ft swell from the SSE, but it’s hammered by a 12 mph cross-onshore wind, making it choppy and poor. Not worth paddling out.

The middle of the week is dead – small, weak swell, bumpy cross-shore breezes, and overall marginal to poor conditions. The energy drops into the 600s (weak to moderate). Same story runs through the end of July.

The next real chance is Saturday morning, August 1st. This one’s a bit of a long shot, being a week and a half out, but it looks good. We’ve got a 8ft swell from the SE with a 9-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the NNE at 9 mph, leaving the waves clean. The energy is strong at 1460 (moderate wave energy). It’s a decent size, but at 8ft, beginners are going to struggle. It’s a promising long-range option, but don’t book your flights yet.

The final week fades out. Sunday the 2nd is back to choppy, onshore wind. There’s a last pulse on Monday, August 3rd – a 6ft south swell with a very long 18-second period, and clean offshore wind. That’s classic point-and-reef swell, but Thompsons Bay is sheltered, so it might not line up perfectly. Conditions are marginal, but there could be a few clean ones.

If you’re new to the sport, hit that glassy Sunday morning on the 19th. If you’re experienced, keep an eye on the 1st of August. Otherwise, there are long stretches of several days with nothing worth chasing.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

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

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu afternoon).

Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
1
3
0
1
2
1
0
2
1
1
2
0
0
1
0
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
S
12
1.5
S
12
1.6
SSE
12
1.7
SSE
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
0.9
SSW
14
0.9
SE
12
1.7
SSW
6
1.6
SSW
7
1.3
S
8
1
S
7
0.6
S
20
1.6
S
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
396
639
660
893
1197
993
736
528
486
389
314
278
202
167
284
187
108
290
1591
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
5
ESE
10
ENE
10
NNW
20
SSW
10
E
10
NNW
10
ENE
20
NE
5
NNW
15
NE
15
NE
5
WNW
30
SSW
35
SSW
15
WSW
10
SSE
10
SE
10
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
glassy
cross
off
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
on
on
off
High Tide
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
12:20PM1.12m
00:56AM1.24m
Low Tide
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
5:53AM0.74m
6:20PM0.75m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:47
6:46
6:46
6:45
6:45
6:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:16
5:17
 mm
1
Temp °C
20
20
21
18
20
21
19
20
22
19
23
25
22
21
21
20
19
20
19
Feels °C
20
19
20
19
17
20
19
19
20
19
19
21
20
17
15
17
17
19
20
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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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