Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 1,718 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 2.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for our little stretch of coast. It's a bit of a mixed bag, and I won't sugar-coat it – there's a long, quiet spell coming up before we finally see something worth paddling out for.
Right now, we're looking at a bit of a waiting game. The forecast shows a lot of days with poor conditions, cross-onshore winds, and crummy surf. There's a real dry spell from Monday the 3rd of August all the way through to the middle of the month. For nearly a week and a half, it's just not worth getting the board wet – the wind's all wrong, and the swell's either tiny or junky.
But hang in there, because Wednesday the 12th of August starts to look interesting. Wednesday morning is when the tide starts to turn. Thompsons Bay should finally have some clean lines with a light cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The swell will be around 3ft from the S with a nice, long period of 12 seconds, giving the waves some real push. The combined energy is a moderate 448, and with that wind, the face should be smooth. It's a fairly consistent spot here, and this might be your entry-level window if the tides line up.
The real standout, without a doubt, is Wednesday afternoon on the 12th of August. The wind is set to drop right out – glassy conditions from the WSW at only 3 mph. The swell picks up a touch to 6ft from the ENE, but the period is a short 6 seconds. Still, with the water looking like glass and the combined energy at 444, it'll be a fun, punchy little session. Keep an eye on the crowd situation, as it can get busy here sometimes, and the direction is a touch off the optimum, but glass is glass. That afternoon window is your best bet for a clean, fun surf in the whole 16-day run.
After that, we see a bit of a drop-off again. Thursday the 13th offers a glassy but small 4ft wave in the morning, and Friday the 14th has a bit more size at 6ft but with onshore winds that will mess it up. There's a small window on Saturday the 15th of August with a 4ft easterly swell at 11 seconds, but the cross-shore wind will put a bit of chop on it.
So, to sum it up: don't bother for the first week and a half. Stay dry. Then, circle Wednesday the 12th of August on your calendar. The morning is okay, but the afternoon glass-off is your best – and really only – true standout in this forecast.
Stay stoked,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Wed night, fresh winds from the NE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 | E 10 | ENE 6 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1718 | 1107 | 816 | 532 | 520 | 402 | 192 | 197 | 184 | 157 | 182 | 170 | 109 | 105 | 98 | 83 | 87 | 281 | 335 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | on | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:08AM1.71m | 6:32PM1.78m | 6:40AM1.62m | 7:07PM1.69m | 7:18AM1.49m | 7:49PM1.56m | 8:05AM1.35m | 8:49PM1.41m | 9:22AM1.20m | 10:32PM1.30m | 11:42AM1.17m | 00:36AM1.35m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:07AM0.21m | 12:15PM0.13m | 00:40AM0.27m | 12:48PM0.22m | 1:19AM0.37m | 1:26PM0.34m | 2:06AM0.50m | 2:17PM0.49m | 3:16AM0.63m | 3:39PM0.64m | 5:15AM0.68m | 5:52PM0.66m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | 5:22 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 5 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 16 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 1718 | 1107 | 816 | 532 | 520 | 402 | 192 | 197 | 184 | 157 | 122 | 121 | 109 | 83 | 29 | 83 | 87 | 147 | 218 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | E 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 9 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 18 | 18 | 17 | 41 | 17 | 16 | 83 | 25 | 20 | 38 | 29 | 170 | 93 | 105 | 83 | 29 | 19 | 11 | 118 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | S 13 | — | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 6 | E 10 |
| kJ | 12 | 25 | 50 | 8 | 13 | — | 14 | 5 | 5 | 35 | 182 | 17 | 9 | 33 | 98 | 83 | 46 | 4 | 49 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | — | NE 6 | — | SSW 2 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 33 | — | 33 | — | 1 | 57 | 61 | 37 | — | — | 45 | 281 | 335 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 37 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 13 | 42 | 0 | 68 | 118 | 9 | 39 | 42 | 0 | 283 | 373 | 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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