Thompsons Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.53° S 31.22° E

Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 30 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thompsons Bay sea temperature is
22.4° C
0.9° 

Thompsons Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with 2,414 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 1.5m and 9s is also forecast. 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 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 1st Aug)6ft (1.8m) 10s
Best Surf11PM (Sat 1st Aug)10ft (3.0m) 12s
Most Powerful11PM (Sat 1st Aug)10ft (3.0m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Thompsons Bay has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you, it’s looking like a tough stretch for waves around here. The bay is pretty sheltered, and over this whole 16-day window, we just aren't seeing much that’ll get the heart racing.

The water’s sitting around 72°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, no surprises there.

We kick off on Thursday the 30th of July, and honestly, it’s a write-off. There’s a solid 10ft swell from the south, but it’s got a short period and strong cross-onshore winds at 30 mph are just wrecking it. The energy is strong (1568), but the surf is messy and poor.

This ugly pattern keeps a hold of us right through the end of July and into the start of August. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st are both still carrying that big, messy swell with cross-shore winds. The conditions are just lumpy and choppy. It's not what you want.

We finally see the wind ease up a little on Sunday the 2nd of August. The swell drops to around 7ft from the southeast, with a longer 11-second period, giving it a bit more shape. A gentle breeze will leave a slight cross-chop, but it’s only a marginal call. It’s the first time I’d even consider paddling out, but it's far from perfect.

Monday the 3rd is a step down in size, and still messy. By Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th, the swell has faded to under 3ft. The highlight, and I use that term loosely, comes on Wednesday afternoon. We get a moment of complete glass with 0 mph wind and 3ft waves. The energy is weak (199) and it’s just surfable, but it's about the only window of clean conditions in the whole run.

From Thursday the 6th of August onward, it’s a long, quiet spell. We get a few pulses of very long-period groundswell from the south-southwest, with periods up to 18 seconds, but the heights are tiny, often below 3ft. The winds are all over the place, but mostly cross or cross-on, keeping the surface messy. The energy levels stay weak. There is a moderate energy spike on the 9th of August (1232) with 8ft swell, but it's from the east-northeast with a short period and onshore wind. Not worth your time.

Later on, around Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August, we see another bump in size, but it's plagued by strong winds, making it messy. By the end of the second week, we are back to small, weak groundswell and lumpy conditions.

Bottom line: don’t get your hopes up too high. This is a long, bleak run for Thompsons Bay. The only true standout, and I mean the only one, is that brief moment of glassy conditions on the afternoon of Wednesday the 5th of August. If you’re desperate, you could go for a float, but don’t expect much.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Thu afternoon, light winds from the W by Sun morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thu
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
4
2
2
3
0
1
2
0
0
1
0
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
S
9
3
SSE
9
3
SSE
9
2.5
SSE
9
1.8
SE
10
2.3
SE
10
2.4
SE
10
3
SE
12
2.2
SE
11
2.3
SE
11
2.3
SE
10
1.9
ESE
10
1.7
ESE
10
1.5
ESE
9
1.3
ESE
9
1.2
ESE
10
1.1
ESE
9
0.8
E
10
0.9
ESE
9
0.9
E
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1521
1259
1346
1093
625
959
1172
2190
1109
1128
1124
684
588
378
312
258
188
120
141
154
Wind (km/h)
45
SSW
25
SW
35
SSW
30
SSW
15
WSW
25
SSW
25
SSW
15
W
15
SW
10
S
10
NW
10
ENE
15
ENE
10
NNW
10
ENE
15
NE
5
NW
10
E
0
S
10
NNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
off
cross-on
glassy
off
High Tide
4:35PM1.78m
4:41AM1.78m
5:03PM1.83m
5:09AM1.80m
5:32PM1.85m
5:38AM1.77m
6:01PM1.84m
6:08AM1.71m
6:32PM1.78m
6:40AM1.62m
7:07PM1.69m
7:18AM1.49m
7:49PM1.56m
Low Tide
10:36PM0.20m
10:49AM0.07m
11:06PM0.17m
11:17AM0.05m
11:35PM0.18m
11:45AM0.07m
00:07AM0.21m
12:15PM0.13m
00:40AM0.27m
12:48PM0.22m
1:19AM0.37m
1:26PM0.34m
2:06AM0.50m
clear
rain showers
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:39
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:37
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
 mm
2
Temp °C
19
17
18
19
17
17
18
17
18
19
17
20
21
18
23
23
21
23
23
20
Feels °C
10
11
11
12
12
11
13
14
14
16
17
17
19
17
19
19
22
19
20
19
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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