Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 16s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, S swell with 1,440 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s 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 (Aug 16) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. 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 1.7m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming our way.
Honestly, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Thompsons Bay. It’s a sheltered spot, so it takes the right combo to get it going, and for a lot of the coming days, that combo just isn't there. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf and cross or cross-onshore winds that will keep things messy. The first real window of opportunity doesn't show up until the morning of the 21st of August.
The first standout is that Friday morning, the 21st of August. The wind goes glassy, dropping to a 3 mph ENE breeze, which is a huge positive. The swell is a modest 4 ft, but it's a long-period groundswell from the SSW at 16 seconds. That long period means it’ll wrap in with some shape and energy, though it might break a little flat at the beach break. The combined energy is strong at 837. It won't be huge, but it’ll be clean and surfable.
Then, the real highlight of the window is the morning of Saturday, the 22nd of August. This is the one to circle. You’ve got a clean, 6 mph NNW cross-offshore wind, and a 4 ft swell from the south with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is very strong at 1138. This is where the sheltered nature of Thompsons Bay could really pay off, offering clean, lined-up waves. The wind is perfect, and the groundswell will have plenty of push. The 4 ft is a comfortable size for most intermediates. Just keep in mind it gets sloppy that afternoon when the wind swings around to a fresh 19 mph SSW.
Later in the month, the morning of Monday the 24th of August looks promising on paper with a 7 ft south swell and a 16-second period, but the moderate cross-shore wind will be putting some chop on the face. The energy is very strong at 2279, but the quality is marginal. That size is pushing into the too-big-for-beginners zone, and the wind will make it a challenge.
Water temperature feels about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report.
So, to sum it up: the morning of the 22nd of August is your best bet for clean, classic conditions. The morning of the 21st is a solid backup if you need a fix earlier.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 18°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | S 8 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 496 | 515 | 534 | 764 | 514 | 563 | 414 | 239 | 196 | 155 | 115 | 118 | 181 | 154 | 502 | 319 | 661 | 1225 | 427 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:38AM1.81m | 6:00PM1.88m | 6:07AM1.70m | 6:28PM1.75m | 6:35AM1.57m | 6:56PM1.59m | 7:03AM1.42m | 7:24PM1.42m | 7:33AM1.26m | 8:00PM1.25m | 8:20AM1.10m | 9:26PM1.10m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:36PM0.10m | 11:43AM0.03m | 00:06AM0.19m | 12:12PM0.14m | 00:35AM0.31m | 12:40PM0.29m | 1:04AM0.44m | 1:10PM0.46m | 1:36AM0.59m | 1:42PM0.63m | 2:22AM0.74m | 2:38PM0.79m | 4:44AM0.84m | ||||||
 |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | 5:30 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | E 8 | SSW 15 | S 8 | S 15 | S 13 |
| kJ | 496 | 515 | 534 | 764 | 514 | 563 | 414 | 239 | 196 | 155 | 115 | 89 | 127 | 81 | 45 | 172 | 164 | 1225 | 427 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | S 16 | SW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | NE 7 | E 8 | SSW 16 | — | — |
| kJ | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 27 | 85 | 118 | 172 | 147 | 7 | 21 | 661 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 12 | SW 11 | S 9 | S 18 | SW 11 | SW 8 | S 4 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | 21 | 12 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | NNE 5 | SSW 4 | S 5 | S 4 | — | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | S 8 | — | E 8 | NE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 28 | 44 | 48 | — | 26 | 34 | 36 | 9 | — | 26 | 181 | 154 | 502 | 319 | — | 11 | 76 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 117 | 118 | 6 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 314 | 443 | 6 | 0 | 929 | 258 |
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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