
Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, S swell with 836 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period with SSE 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 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 15s. 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 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11PM. 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+) | 8PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right. G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s just get this straight up front: the next 16 days are a bit of a grind for our area. Nothing’s properly firing, and the sparse bits of surf that show up are compromised by wind or chop. The first real chance to even look at the water doesn’t come until Saturday the 25th of July, and even then, it’s a tough sell.
So, Saturday the 25th: Thompsons Bay is running 6 ft of SSE swell, but it’s coming from the wrong direction for this sheltered spot, it’s short period at 10 seconds, and the wind is a cross-on from the south at 6 mph. The wave energy is moderate (878), but the surface is poor. Not a session to get excited about. Sunday the 26th sees the swell drop to 5 ft from the SE, but the wind kicks up to 12 mph from the NE, making it cross-shore and choppy. The combined energy drops to 653. Still poor. Through the week, we get a mix of light rain, fresh winds, and messy cross-shore conditions. Monday the 27th has a brief pulse of 5 ft from the NE but with a terrible 6-second period and a SE wind that’s onshore. It’s marginal at best.
The only highlight worth talking about is Friday the 31st of July. The morning session at Thompsons Bay looks promising. The swell is 5 ft from the SE, period is 9 seconds, and the wind goes glassy calm from the NNE at just 3 mph. The energy is moderate (640). That’s the best window of the whole outlook – clean, lined up, and easy paddling. But it’s a short-lived window; by the afternoon it’s cross-on again.
After that, we see a pulse of bigger swell into the first weekend of August. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd both have 6 ft to 8 ft from the SE and ESE, with periods stretching to 10-11 seconds and moderate energy climbing to 716 and then 1246. However, the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the NE, and the setup becomes more interesting for kitesurfing than paddle surfing. The surf quality is poor, and the size is getting into the expert-only zone for the Sunday. It’s a heavy, messy cross-shore situation.
The second week of the outlook, from the 3rd of August onward, is consistently poor. The swell stays around 3 ft to 5 ft, but the wind is too strong from the NE, often 12-19 mph, and the periods are short. The energy is weak to moderate. By the 7th and 8th, the wind shifts to a fresh cross-on from the SSW, and the whole thing gets lumpy. No standouts. Nothing to chase.
So, the one true standout – the only one worth a look – is the glassy morning of Friday the 31st of July. That’s your best bet. The rest of the window is a write-off. Keep an eye on it, though. The bay can turn around.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the SSW by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue night, min 14°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 13 | S 16 | NE 6 | S 14 | S 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
567 | 539 | 434 | 335 | 307 | 198 | 196 | 98 | 156 | 443 | 269 | 745 | 435 | 412 | 439 | 390 | 380 | 373 | 350 | 328 | 652 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | off | cross | cross | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 5:03PM1.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:49AM0.07m | 11:06PM0.17m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 |
567 | 539 | 434 | 335 | 211 | 76 | 99 | 59 | 80 | 443 | 269 | 172 | 435 | 412 | 439 | 390 | 380 | 373 | 350 | 328 | 652 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 16 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 14 |
309 | 246 | 163 | 312 | 307 | 117 | 120 | 98 | 132 | 41 | 45 | 64 | 81 | 136 | 65 | 87 | 87 | 98 | 94 | 108 | 50 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 8 | — | S 16 | S 16 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | — | S 11 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | — |
2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 198 | 81 | 10 | 31 | — | 63 | — | 160 | 175 | 137 | 73 | 102 | 120 | 196 | 138 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 11 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 32 | 89 | 196 | 71 | 156 | 146 | 199 | 745 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 39 | 39 | 0 | 42 | 732 | 258 | 19 | 42 | 40 | 768 | 358 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 39 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 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.










