Surf Forecasts:
Thompsons Bay surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, SSE swell with 3,936 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. 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 4.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 8PM. 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 (Mon 31st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thompsons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get straight into it. The long-range models are showing me a pretty bleak picture for Thompsons Bay over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, if you’re looking for a clean, rippable wave, you’re going to be waiting a while. We’ve got a whole lot of wind and swell but none of it lining up right for this spot. It’s a sheltered setup, and we’re paying for it with every bit of cross-shore and onshore junk that blows through.
To be real with you, the first few days are a total write-off. Monday and Tuesday of this week are looking poor, with light to gentle breezes messing up an already weak, short-period swell. The energy is weak, sitting around 295 to 298 on Monday, dropping to the 189 to 228 range on Tuesday. It’s cross-shore, it’s lumpy, and there’s just no push to it. Don’t even bother with your board, it’s not worth the paddle out.
Wednesday kicks up a bit of a longer period swell, 15 seconds, but the wind goes fresh and cross-onshore. The energy jumps to 417 and 460, but the quality is still poor. You’re just getting a lumpy, messy ocean with no shape to it. Same story Thursday – the swell gets a bit more size, but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-shore wind and that makes it all chop. The energy is building, hitting 526 in the morning, but this is not surfable for a paddleboarder.
Then Friday, the swell really starts to fill in. We’re seeing 10ft on the afternoon, but it’s coming with rain and a fresh cross-onshore wind. The energy spikes to 2723, but again, the quality is brutal. This is when you start thinking the setup might be more interesting for a kite surfer than anyone with a paddle. The ocean’s got power, but it’s just a washing machine.
Saturday, September 5th, is the first time we see a slight chance, and it’s a marginal one. The swell is still big, 10ft in the morning, and the wind finally drops to a light breeze. The energy is a solid 2324. It’s still onshore, but clean enough that you might find some shelter. The break is fairly consistent, but the direction is all wrong – the optimum is from the southeast, and we’re seeing a more southerly angle. It’s a low percentage day, a 3 out of 10 at best, and only for the experienced crew who know the bank.
After that, it’s back to pain. Sunday and Monday of the second week are just big, messy, and blown out. We’re talking 15ft to 16ft of southerly swell with strong onshore winds. Energy readings are massive, hitting 9129 and 10180, but all that power is just going to close out the beach and make it dangerous. This is expert-only, and even then, it’s probably not happening. The period on Monday hits 14 seconds, but the wind is just too strong.
We finally get a bit of a lull on Tuesday the 8th, with the swell backing down to 12ft, and the wind turning more cross-shore. But it’s still lumpy and rainy. The energy is still high, around 4000, but it’s not a surfable mess.
The week after, the 9th and 10th, the swell drops to a more manageable 13ft and 8ft, but the wind is just constantly on it. The mornings have a moderate cross-shore blow, the afternoons go cross-onshore. The period is long, 14 and 12 seconds, which could be good for a point break, but for a beach, it's just going to be walled up. The scores are poor to marginal at best, and you’d have to be desperate to paddle out.
Then, from the 11th onwards, it starts to fade. The energy drops back to the low hundreds and the swell shrinks to around 3ft to 5ft. There’s a southeast windswell mixed in with a shorter period, but it’s just not generating any power. You’ll see a day on the 13th with a bit of size and light wind, but the period is a weak 7 seconds. It’s another false dawn.
The water temp is sitting at around 69°, which is just about normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re sitting there waiting for something that’s not coming.
So, what’s the call? The only real standout, if you can even call it that, is the Saturday morning on the 5th. It’s the only time in the whole 16 days where the wind is light enough and the swell has some size. Keep your expectations low, and if you’re not an expert, stay on the sand.
There’s a serious gap in any kind of quality surf from now until that Saturday, and then it’s a whole heap of nothing until the window closes. This is a stretch where the ocean is just full of energy, but none of it is focused for this break. It’ll turn around eventually – it always does.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 32°C on Thu morning, min 18°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the S by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 34°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Thu night, calm by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 10 | SSE 8 | S 21 | S 17 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
220 | 196 | 153 | 69 | 119 | 167 | 441 | 620 | 207 | 923 | 512 | 1106 | 3426 | 2498 | 1508 | 952 | 449 | 828 | 908 | 2827 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:31PM1.95m | 5:41AM1.79m | 6:01PM1.86m | 6:12AM1.67m | 6:34PM1.71m | 6:46AM1.52m | 7:13PM1.53m | 7:30AM1.33m | 8:09PM1.32m | 8:54AM1.15m | 10:29PM1.18m | 12:09PM1.17m | 00:53AM1.29m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:39PM0.09m | 11:46AM0.06m | 00:10AM0.18m | 12:18PM0.18m | 00:45AM0.33m | 12:54PM0.35m | 1:28AM0.50m | 1:43PM0.55m | 2:38AM0.68m | 3:21PM0.74m | 5:23AM0.74m | 6:26PM0.71m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 16 |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 32 | 34 | 29 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 20 |
Feels °C | 20 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 5 | E 6 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 17 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | S 21 | S 17 |
220 | 196 | 153 | 43 | 119 | 133 | 441 | 620 | 189 | 85 | 308 | 77 | 88 | 24 | 1283 | 952 | 383 | 175 | 865 | 2827 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | E 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | ENE 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | E 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | S 15 | S 14 | E 10 | S 19 | E 10 | — |
47 | 22 | 11 | 69 | 38 | 167 | 94 | 52 | — | — | — | 67 | 28 | 20 | 159 | 150 | 284 | 7 | 88 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | SE 10 | S 10 | SSW 7 | S 7 | S 10 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | S 16 | — | S 18 | SSW 15 | E 10 | S 12 | S 24 | SSW 16 | — |
15 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 14 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 24 | 225 | 75 | 72 | 11 | 406 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ENE 5 | — | SSW 4 | S 5 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | E 7 | E 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 |
— | — | — | 62 | — | 19 | 25 | 17 | 207 | 923 | 512 | 1106 | 3426 | 2498 | 1508 | 178 | 449 | 828 | 908 | 838 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 39 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 319 | 0 | 117 | 6 | 0 | 277 | 2585 | 277 | 1393 | 741 | 40 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 117 | 741 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











