Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with 5,290 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period with E 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 8s. 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 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the goods on Thompsons Bay. The next 16 days are a proper mixed bag, with a real standout window if you’re patient and got the skills. There’s a long gap of nothing much after the first decent session, then a couple of late-in-the-game options that look promising.
The first bit of surf worth paddling out for hits on Monday, September 7th. A big pulse of S swell rolls in at 10ft, with a super long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy is a beastly 5344 – that’s strong. With a light cross-offshore breeze from the N, it’s gonna be clean. This is proper groundswell, and at that size, it’s only for the experienced crew. Anything over 8ft is expert territory. That long period (over 15 seconds) means the waves will have plenty of power and shape, but at a beach setup like this, it might jack up and throw a bit straight. Still, the morning session is the standout of the whole run.
After that, it goes quiet. The afternoon on the 7th gets messy with a NE wind, and from Tuesday the 8th through to Monday the 14th, it’s mostly poor to marginal. There’s a gap of about a week where the conditions are just cooked – strong winds, lumpy cross-chop, and short-period junk. Not worth even looking.
Then, on Friday, September 18th, we get a second chance. A 8ft SSE swell with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 1120 rolls in. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SW, keeping it clean. The energy is there, but the period is a bit short, so the waves will be a bit more choppy and less powerful than the 7th. It’s a solid, surfable day, but it’s more for the intermediate crowd.
The last real highlight is Sunday, September 20th. The morning is glassy – E wind at 3 mph, dead calm. An 8ft ESE swell with a 9-second period, and a combined energy of 1138. That’s moderate to strong energy. The glassy conditions make this a beauty. The sets will be clean and lined up, but again, 8ft is pushing it for beginners. The lack of wind is a major plus.
So, the pick of the week is that Monday morning on the 7th – big, clean, powerful, but for experts only. The Sunday the 20th is a close second, with perfect glass and a solid swell. The rest is a write-off. Cheers, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, strong winds from the ENE by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Wed afternoon, light winds from the S by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 11 | S 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 290 | 194 | 191 | 1268 | 5226 | 2824 | 1143 | 339 | 603 | 455 | 379 | 865 | 533 | 398 | 392 | 276 | 235 | 207 | 164 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:29PM1.18m | 12:09PM1.17m | 00:53AM1.29m | 1:34PM1.39m | 1:53AM1.48m | 2:20PM1.61m | 2:34AM1.65m | 2:57PM1.80m | 3:09AM1.78m | 3:30PM1.95m | 3:41AM1.87m | 4:00PM2.02m | 4:11AM1.90m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:23AM0.74m | 6:26PM0.71m | 7:14AM0.57m | 7:44PM0.51m | 8:04AM0.37m | 8:28PM0.32m | 8:41AM0.18m | 9:05PM0.17m | 9:14AM0.04m | 9:37PM0.06m | 9:45AM-0.04m | 10:07PM0.01m | |||||||
 |  | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | |  | |
 | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — |
 | 5:42 | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 17 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | S 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 290 | 192 | 157 | 1268 | 5226 | 2824 | 1143 | 339 | 276 | 157 | 90 | 62 | 40 | 40 | 392 | 276 | 235 | 207 | 164 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | E 9 | E 10 | — | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | E 12 | SW 15 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 268 | 194 | 191 | 127 | 118 | — | 31 | 102 | 17 | 56 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 35 | 24 | 149 | 93 | 39 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | S 10 | — | — | S 20 | E 10 | — | S 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | S 16 | SSE 12 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 7 | S 13 | SSW 8 |
| kJ | 81 | 114 | 73 | 133 | — | — | 7 | 31 | — | 5 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 15 | 7 | 31 | 5 | 30 | 12 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 235 | 115 | 179 | 603 | 455 | 379 | 865 | 533 | 398 | — | — | — | — | 37 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 174 | 514 | 732 | 42 | 462 | 592 | 0 | 305 | 39 | 0 | 19 | 39 | 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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