Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSW swell with 1,889 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 3s 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) 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 1.1m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer. Thompsons Bay is a sheltered spot, and the water’s sitting at about 73°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year. The outlook’s a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of less-than-ideal conditions, but there are a couple of windows worth keeping an eye on.
The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday the 21st of July and Wednesday the 22nd see some chest-high swell (4ft to 5ft) from the SE, but the wind is messing it up with a cross-shore chop. The energy is moderate, but the quality just isn’t there. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are even worse, with Friday seeing a solid 10ft southerly swell, but it’s blowing a fresh cross-onshore gale, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. That’s a big one for experts only, but with the wind, it’s a no-go. The energy is strong, but it’s not going to be clean.
We’ve got a long gap here with no real standouts until we get into the second week. The best of the bunch looks to be Thursday the 30th of July. The afternoon session is looking glassy – a slight air from the south, with a 4ft SSW groundswell running at a long 14 seconds. The energy is solid, and with the glassy conditions, it’s going to be clean. This is your best bet for a proper session. It’s a sheltered spot, so the long period should wrap in nicely.
Then on Wednesday the 29th of July, the morning has a big 10ft south swell, but it’s a light cross-onshore wind. It’s a marginal call, but if the wind stays light, that’s a powerful, heavy wave for the experts. The period is only 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but there’s plenty of push.
Further out, Sunday the 2nd of August has an 8ft NE swell in the morning with a light cross-onshore breeze. The energy is strong, but it’s a short period, so it’ll be a bit crumbly. It’s another one for the experienced crew only.
Other than that, the forecast is pretty quiet. Tuesday the 4th of August has a clean morning with a light cross-offshore wind and a 4ft east swell, but it’s very ordinary. There’s just not enough to get excited about. For the most part, this is a stretch where the surf is either too small, too windy, or too messy. It’s a bit of a flat spell, but that’s how it goes sometimes.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Wed night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Fri morning, calm by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | NE 7 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 546 | 494 | 442 | 403 | 319 | 267 | 167 | 192 | 420 | 1691 | 1104 | 568 | 339 | 295 | 218 | 331 | 307 | 172 | 284 | 136 | 361 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 2:30PM1.34m | 2:40AM1.46m | 3:06PM1.47m | 3:14AM1.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:16AM0.54m | 8:28PM0.54m | 8:54AM0.41m | 9:05PM0.43m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 21 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 19 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | ENE 7 | SSW 11 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 546 | 494 | 442 | 403 | 319 | 138 | 75 | 164 | 130 | 77 | 295 | 425 | 336 | 295 | 202 | 331 | 307 | 117 | 147 | 24 | 188 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SE 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 12 | SE 9 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 115 | 91 | 193 | 305 | 207 | 236 | 167 | 192 | 21 | 6 | 59 | 568 | 339 | 292 | 218 | 103 | 50 | 31 | 49 | 12 | 32 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SSW 12 | E 9 | E 9 | — | SSW 13 | S 15 | S 5 | E 9 | S 22 | E 10 | SE 11 | SSW 19 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | SW 16 | SE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 15 | 53 | 14 | 6 | — | 99 | 109 | 22 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 41 | 125 | 7 | 14 | 12 | — | 63 | 10 | 19 | 51 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 7 | SSW 3 | SSW 5 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 |
| kJ | — | 2 | 18 | 20 | 86 | 267 | 3 | 32 | 420 | 1691 | 1104 | — | — | — | 3 | 16 | 154 | 172 | 284 | 136 | 361 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 42 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 462 | 0 | 116 | 39 | 626 | 368 | 368 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 514 | 721 | 258 | 373 | 277 | 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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