Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 3 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 4 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSE swell with 3,042 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 3 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s 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 Friday (Jul 03) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thompsons Bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 04) 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 1.4m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here, checking in on the surf at Thompsons Bay. Let's see what the next couple of weeks have in store.
The first real chance to get wet is Friday, July 3rd. The morning kicks off with a strong 10ft south swell, carrying a lot of grunt (2888). That south groundswell is running on a long 13-second period, so you can feel the power out there. Water temp is a normal 71°, nothing out of the ordinary. But the real magic happens Friday afternoon: the wind goes glassy from the SSE, the swell eases to 8ft, and it’s clean as a whistle. That’s your prime window. Keep in mind, this is a spot for intermediates, and at over 8ft, you’re looking at expert-only waves. It breaks fairly consistently, but expect some company as crowds are sometimes an issue.
From Saturday the 4th, the winds flip cross-on and cross-shore, and the quality goes downhill fast. By Sunday and Monday, the swell is dropping and the wind is a mess, so you’re looking at several days of flat or blown-out conditions.
We’re talking a real lull from Sunday the 5th through Tuesday the 7th. Small, ugly surf. Not worth the drive. Wednesday the 8th is more of the same.
Things start to look up again Thursday afternoon, July 9th, with a 8ft south swell, but it’s rocking a shorter 9-second period and onshore wind, so it’s not clean. The next decent window is Friday morning, July 10th: a 6ft south swell with a nice cross-offshore breeze and a long 12-second period. That’s a good call, but the wind shifts again by afternoon.
Sunday morning, July 12th is another highlight—glassy conditions with a 4ft south swell and a long period. Low crowds that early. But the afternoon gets choppy again. Monday July 13th morning has a bigger 7ft south swell, but it’s suffering from cross-shore wind.
After that, it’s a long, tough stretch of poor to marginal conditions all the way to the end. The last possible bright spot is Saturday morning, July 18th: glassy winds, a 5ft easterly swell—not huge, but clean lines for those who wait.
To wrap it up: Friday afternoon, July 3rd is the big, clean standout for experienced surfers. Saturday morning, July 18th is your best bet for a smaller, cleaner session.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 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) | S 13 | S 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | SSW 6 | S 8 | S 9 | S 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2806 | 1995 | 3042 | 2179 | 1384 | 876 | 723 | 483 | 273 | 148 | 102 | 284 | 206 | 88 | 215 | 108 | 71 | 123 | 856 | 1005 | 1753 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-on | glassy | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:54PM1.68m | 5:59AM1.65m | 6:28PM1.66m | 6:33AM1.59m | 7:04PM1.63m | 7:11AM1.51m | 7:46PM1.58m | 7:57AM1.42m | 8:37PM1.52m | 8:56AM1.32m | 9:44PM1.46m | 10:18AM1.25m | 11:09PM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:39AM0.18m | 11:56PM0.33m | 12:11PM0.21m | 00:32AM0.36m | 12:45PM0.26m | 1:11AM0.42m | 1:23PM0.33m | 1:58AM0.48m | 2:08PM0.41m | 2:56AM0.55m | 3:07PM0.50m | 4:12AM0.59m | 4:26PM0.56m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  |  | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 15 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | S 13 |
| kJ | 2806 | 1995 | 3042 | 2179 | 1384 | 876 | 723 | 483 | 273 | 148 | 102 | 151 | 75 | 88 | 117 | 70 | 51 | 78 | 39 | 41 | 1753 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 11 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | E 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SE 15 | E 8 |
| kJ | 82 | 115 | 101 | 93 | 65 | 63 | 59 | 40 | 46 | 52 | 19 | 60 | 33 | 22 | 88 | 76 | 71 | 123 | 73 | 8 | 36 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 13 | E 12 | E 11 | SW 20 | S 18 | S 17 | SSW 10 | ESE 11 | E 11 | S 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 10 | ESE 9 | SE 16 | — | SE 14 |
| kJ | — | 114 | 98 | 90 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 33 | 39 | 20 | 6 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 29 | 14 | 17 | 9 | 10 | — | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | — | SSW 6 | S 8 | S 9 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 128 | 141 | 66 | 284 | 206 | 73 | 215 | 108 | — | 95 | 856 | 1005 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 37 | 0 | 68 | 172 | 0 | 39 | 42 | 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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