Surf spot

Albatross

Forecast conditions and map view for Albatross in South Africa, South J Bay. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: South Africa, South J Bay
Coordinates: -34.0102, 24.9199

Metric
Metric	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00
Wave height (m)	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.4	1.6	1.8	2	1.8	2	2.3	2.1	2.2	2.7	2.7	2.6	2.5	2.3	2.1	1.9	1.8	1.7	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.1	1	1.1	1.2	1.4	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.8	1.9	2.2	1.9	1.6	1.4	1	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.5	1.6	1.2	0.9	1.5
Wave direction	S	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	SSW	S	S	S	S	S	S	SSW	SSE	SE	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE
Wave period (s)	7.7	6.3	7.1	6.2	5.7	6.3	7	6.9	6.8	8.8	8.7	7.1	7.4	7.8	7.4	7	7.3	7.4	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.4	7.5	7.6	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.7	7.6	7.5	7.5	8	8.8	8.3	8.3	7.5	7.7	9.2	8	8.8	7.9	8.6	8.3	8.2	9.6	7.2	6.8	7.2	7.5	7.5	6.8	8.3	9.7	9.4
Wave energy (kJ)	198	118	140	105	89	149	235	315	368	530	618	515	492	603	775	735	732	695	577	490	412	361	325	273	240	220	210	199	187	171	155	138	123	142	235	270	267	250	274	338	428	564	604	523	362	249	199	178	147	173	196	257	234	183	158	419
Wind speed (km/h)	5.5	5.2	8.1	3.3	10.9	25.4	37.3	36.1	33.7	30.4	32.3	35.4	26.8	24	28.6	12.6	7.4	15.2	14.5	12.2	23.8	25.3	16.2	11.3	9.8	9.3	4.8	13.2	19.7	10.8	2.9	7.9	23.8	22.2	14.8	19.1	11.2	20.4	13.8	2.5	1.8	9.4	11.8	18	20.4	21.1	17.7	12.1	12.3	13.6	5.5	15	21	19	14	20.8
Wind direction	ENEOnshore	NEOnshore	WNWCross	EGlassy	SECross	ESECross	ESEBlown out	ESEBlown out	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	EBlown out	ECross-on	ECross-on	ENECross-on	ENEOnshore	NNEOnshore	NCross-on	NCross-on	NEOnshore	WCross-off	WCross-off	WCross-off	WNWCross	SWOffshore	SWOffshore	NNWGlassy	WSWOffshore	SCross-off	SCross-off	NGlassy	WSWCross-off	WSWOffshore	SWOffshore	SWOffshore	SSECross-off	SCross-off	SSECross-off	SSECross-off	NGlassy	EGlassy	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross	ESECross	ESECross-on	ECross-on	SECross	ESECross-on	ECross-on	ENECross-on	SECross	ESECross	SECross	SECross

Albatross is a surf spot in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, in the Jeffreys Bay area, often referred to as South J-Bay.

Quick description

Type: Fast, powerful point-style reef break
Wave quality: Usually very good when it’s working, with long, clean walls
Best conditions: A solid south/southwest swell with offshore winds from the northwest/west
Skill level: Intermediate to advanced, and can be quite challenging when bigger
Hazards: Sharp reef, strong currents, and the usual crowd/lineup pressure when conditions are good

What it’s like

Albatross tends to offer a fast, punchy, often hollow wave that suits surfers who can handle speed and read the lineup well. It’s not usually the easiest or most forgiving wave, but on the right day it can produce high-quality, memorable rides.

Best time

South Africa’s winter months generally bring the most consistent swell, though conditions can vary a lot day to day.