Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with 2,560 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 16s. 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Looking at the charts for the next 16 days—honestly, it’s a pretty grim run for Thompsons Bay for a while. The swell is rolling in, but the wind is just screwing it up. You’ve got to be patient and pick your moments.
We start off pretty rough. Friday, July 24th, the place is a mess. A solid 13ft swell from the south, but that 50 km/h cross-on wind is a deal-breaker. It’s blown out, ugly. The energy is huge (3284), but it’s just not rideable. It stays rough through Saturday and Sunday, with the swell dropping but the wind still cross or cross-on. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 73°, but that’s little comfort when you’re getting hammered.
There’s a long gap of nothing really good until the second week. The Tuesday morning on July 29th sees a 8ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is still cross, and it’s just a messy, choppy affair. The energy is moderate (1655), but the quality is wrong.
The real standout, the only true window of opportunity, comes on Sunday, August 2nd. The afternoon is looking glassy, with a light easterly breeze. The swell is a clean 5ft from the ESE with a period of 11 seconds. The energy is moderate (786), but the conditions are glassy as hell. For a break that’s fairly consistent, this is your best bet. The crowd factor is a consideration here—it’s a spot that can get crowded, so expect company.
After that, the week of August 5th has some promise but it’s temperamental. The Tuesday afternoon on August 4th has a clean, cross-off wind and a 4ft easterly swell (11 seconds). That’s a nice little window. Then, Friday morning on August 7th, we get another glassy morning, with a 4ft swell from the east at a long 12-second period. The energy is moderate (697). This is a second chance, but it’s a longer-range call, so don’t bet the farm on it. The long period means it’s going to be a bit more powerful and better shaped, but that east swell can get a bit straight at a beach break like this.
The rest of the run is mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore winds and choppy surf. It’s not a complete washout, but you’ve got to be picky. Stick to those glassy windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Fri afternoon, calm by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 13 | S 16 | SSW 15 | S 11 | S 7 | SSW 18 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2560 | 623 | 631 | 528 | 460 | 335 | 307 | 193 | 234 | 160 | 326 | 443 | 476 | 576 | 883 | 744 | 651 | 750 | 813 | 723 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | off | cross | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:56AM1.24m | 1:42PM1.22m | 1:58AM1.34m | 2:30PM1.34m | 2:40AM1.46m | 3:06PM1.47m | 3:14AM1.57m | 3:37PM1.59m | 3:44AM1.67m | 4:07PM1.69m | 4:13AM1.74m | 4:35PM1.78m | 4:41AM1.78m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:20PM0.75m | 7:24AM0.66m | 7:40PM0.66m | 8:16AM0.54m | 8:28PM0.54m | 8:54AM0.41m | 9:05PM0.43m | 9:25AM0.29m | 9:37PM0.33m | 9:54AM0.19m | 10:07PM0.25m | 10:22AM0.11m | 10:36PM0.20m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSE 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 192 | 623 | 631 | 528 | 460 | 335 | 206 | 73 | 78 | 33 | 87 | 443 | 266 | 576 | 883 | 744 | 651 | 750 | 813 | 723 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 59 | 457 | 309 | 225 | 163 | 312 | 307 | 117 | 234 | 63 | 48 | 41 | 60 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 293 | 135 | 121 | 98 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 11 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | S 16 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 16 | — | S 11 | SSW 15 | — | — | E 10 | — | — | E 10 |
| kJ | — | 40 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | — | 193 | 24 | 24 | 50 | — | 9 | 179 | — | — | 75 | — | — | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 11 | S 7 | S 7 | S 9 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2560 | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 104 | 194 | 160 | 326 | 230 | 476 | 329 | 578 | 599 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 443 | 0 | 39 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 732 | 0 | 42 | 741 | 626 | 929 | 443 | 118 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 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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