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Jeffreys Bay surf forecast
Jeffreys Bay is home to a long, fast, hollow right-hand point break, and many surfers rank it among the best rights on earth. Our forecast tracks Supertubes, the section most people rate as the heart of the wave.
J-Bay surf report: hour by hour at Supertubes
This table gives swell, wind and tide for Supertubes, hour by hour. The break faces south-east and picks up swell from the south to south-west.
Updated 09:58next run 14:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
05:00–08:00 · glassy
Today 3 Nov
Worth it 05-08, clean chest-shoulder, glassy (experts).
Best window: 05:00–08:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 04:43
- High
- 11:05
- Low
- 17:48
- High
- 23:36
- Sunrise
- 05:17
- Sunset
- 18:50
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 4 Nov
Go 05-08, clean head-high, glassy (experts).
Kiwi's best shot: 05:00–08:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 05:42
- High
- 12:06
- Low
- 18:35
- Sunrise
- 05:16
- Sunset
- 18:50
Every hour, 05–21
Thursday 5 Nov
Marginal 12-16: the wind spoils it, head-high, cross-offshore WSW.
Best window: 12:00–16:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 00:30
- Low
- 06:30
- High
- 12:50
- Low
- 19:14
- Sunrise
- 05:16
- Sunset
- 18:51
Every 3 hours
Friday 6 Nov
Go 05-09, clean head-high, offshore W (experts).
Best window: 05:00–09:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 01:09
- Low
- 07:08
- High
- 13:23
- Low
- 19:53
- Sunrise
- 05:15
- Sunset
- 18:52
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Jeffreys Bay (-34.035, 24.934). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the wind column first. Supertubes cleans up when the wind blows from the west, and west-north-west is also offshore here.
Guide to the Jeffreys Bay point
The wave breaks along the west side of the bay and is split into named sections. From the top of the point down, they run Kitchen Windows, Magna Tubes, Boneyards, Supertubes, Impossibles, Tubes, the Point and Albatross. On rare big, even swells, Boneyards can link through to the Point for a ride of more than a kilometre.
Supertubes
Point breakAdvancedSupertubes is the section most surfers rate as the best part of the wave. It runs for about 300 m or more on its own.
Expect a fast, hollow right over sharp rocks, with heavy crowds. This is the spot our forecast is set for. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Boneyards
ReefPoint sectionBoneyards is a reef section higher up the point. On rare days with big, wide and even swells, it can connect all the way down to the Point. Sources: surf-forecast.com · en.wikipedia.org
Kitchen Windows
Beach and reefTop of the pointKitchen Windows sits at the very top of the point. It is listed as a beach and reef break with consistent surf. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · surf-forecast.com
Magna Tubes
ReefPoint sectionMagna Tubes is the section between Kitchen Windows and Boneyards. It is listed as a reef break rated fairly consistent. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · surf-forecast.com
Albatross
Point sectionBottom of the pointAlbatross is the last named section, at the far end of the point. Surf-Forecast gives its J-Bay tide times for Albatross, about 4 km from its J-Bay reference spot. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · surf-forecast.com
Salad Bowls
Point breakNearbySalad Bowls is a nearby point break, about 3 km from the J-Bay reference spot. It is listed as consistent. Sources: surf-forecast.com
What Jeffreys Bay needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
South to south-west groundswell
Supertubes faces south-east and works best on swell from 180° to 240°, so from the south to south-west. Clean groundswells are the norm, and a south swell is often named as ideal.
Wind
Westerly wind is offshore
The offshore wind comes from the west, around 290°. Last December the wind was offshore about 77% of the time.
Tide
Works on any tide
Our config does not tie Supertubes to one tide. You can plan around swell and wind first.
Size
Best at 1.5–3 metres
Waves of 1.5 to 3 m are the sweet spot. Under 1 m it is usually too small, and from about 5 m it is too big for most.
Shortcut: look for 1.5–3 m of south to south-west swell with a westerly wind, and the tide hardly matters.
The best months to surf Jeffreys Bay
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Jeffreys Bay's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Apr–JunPrime time, peaking in June
June is the strongest month, with good days on 60% of days and at least fair surf on 73%. April and May are close behind, at 43% and 48% good days.
Jul–AugStill pumping, coldest water
About 42% of days are good and 61% at least fair, with typical waves near 1.7–1.9 m. The pro contest runs at Supertubes in July, and the water drops to about 15°C by August.
Sep–NovA dip, then a rebound
September is a quieter month, with good days only 23% of the time. October and November pick up again, at about 40% good days.
Dec–MarWarm water, fewer good days
Summer is often flat here. February is the weakest month, with good days on only 21% of days. The water is at its warmest, around 20–21°C.
Before you go
Hazards
The wave breaks over sharp rocks, and mussel shells add to the cuts.
Sharks are a real risk here. In 2015 Mick Fanning was attacked by what was thought to be a great white during the J-Bay Open final, and he came out unhurt. Sources: surf-forecast.com · en.wikipedia.org
Getting there
The town lies just off the N2, about 75 km south-west of Port Elizabeth.
The closest airport is Port Elizabeth (PLZ), about 64 km away in a straight line. George Airport (GRJ) is the next nearest, about 235 km away. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · surf-forecast.com
Crowds and etiquette
Supertubes gets heavy crowds, and the line-up is for advanced surfers only. Wait your turn, and do not paddle out unless you are an advanced surfer. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Water temperature and wetsuit
From December to April the sea sits around 19–21°C.
From May to October it cools to about 15–18°C, with August the coldest at 15.4°C.
Contest season
Each July the World Surf League holds its event at Supertubes. Spectators and professional surfers come from all over the world for the event. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Out of the water
The town has a Blue Flag beach and is known for shells and seafood. The nearby Kabeljous, Seekoei and Krom River lagoons are good for birds, canoeing and fishing. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Jeffreys Bay. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for South Africa, so 4 stars at Jeffreys Bay is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Jeffreys Bay surf questions
Is Jeffreys Bay good for beginners?
Supertubes is not a beginner wave: it is advanced only, with sharp rocks and heavy crowds. The wave is fast and hollow.
When is the best time to surf J-Bay?
Winter is the season, and June is the best month, with good surf on about 60% of days. Summer is often flat.
How cold is the water in Jeffreys Bay in December?
In December the sea is about 19°C.
Are there sharks at J-Bay?
Yes, sharks are a known hazard here. Mick Fanning was attacked during the 2015 J-Bay Open final and escaped unhurt.
What wind and swell does Supertubes need?
It wants south to south-west swell with wind from the west, which is offshore. Waves of 1.5–3 m are ideal.
Does the tide matter at Supertubes?
Not much: the break works on any tide. Watch the swell and wind instead.
Check the J-Bay surf forecast before you go
Open the hourly table for Supertubes and look for south to south-west swell with a westerly wind.