Surf spot

Magna Tubes

Forecast conditions and map view for Magna Tubes 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: -34.0382, 24.9330

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)	2.3	2.2	2.1	2.1	2.1	2	2.3	2.6	2.6	2.4	2.2	2.1	2	1.9	1.8	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.2	1.1	1	1	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.4	1.2	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.5	1.8	1.9	2	2.1	2.2	2.1	2.1	2.3	2.4	2.5	2.5	2.4
Wave direction	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	SE	ESE	ESE	SSW	S	S	SSW	S	SSW	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE
Wave period (s)	6.4	6.8	8.7	8.6	8.6	7.2	7.2	7	7.1	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.4	7.4	7.5	7.7	7.7	7.8	8	8	7.8	7.8	7.7	7.7	7.7	7.7	7.8	8.1	7.8	7.7	6.1	5.8	7	7.1	9.1	7	7	7	7.1	7	7	6.7	6.8	5.8	6.2	6.5	6.7	6.8	6.9	7	7.3	7.2	7.2	7.3	7.4	7.5
Wave energy (kJ)	426	425	685	645	620	406	522	653	671	609	535	455	421	404	365	338	327	316	312	296	249	212	169	152	127	128	147	163	185	223	104	132	184	181	315	224	224	224	221	198	209	202	189	157	255	310	361	424	453	455	488	568	607	645	674	670
Wind speed (km/h)	22.7	19.6	19.1	28.5	29.8	25.2	29.3	20.9	12	16.7	10.5	7.4	2.1	16.7	26	18.5	6.2	10.4	8.6	10.8	19.6	8	5.7	0.8	10.9	25.7	30.6	24.6	17.6	22.3	15.8	13.2	21.9	17.6	20.5	20.8	20.8	13.1	3.8	6.2	10	10.5	10.1	21.4	26.3	24.8	13.7	15.5	7.9	6.7	7.1	27	30.2	25.9	20	10.5
Wind direction	EOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	NCross	NCross	NECross-on	NWCross-off	WSWGlassy	WSWOffshore	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	NCross	NCross	WNWCross-off	WOffshore	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	NECross-on	SSWGlassy	WSWOffshore	SWCross-off	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	SWCross-off	SCross	SSECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	NEGlassy	SCross	SSECross	SCross	ESEOnshore	ESEOnshore	ESEOnshore	ESEOnshore	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	NECross-on	NECross-on	NNECross-on	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore

Magna Tubes is one of the best-known tube-heavy waves in the Jeffreys Bay (J-Bay) area of South Africa’s Eastern Cape. It sits in the broader South J Bay zone and is prized for its fast, hollow, powerful right-hand walls that can throw long, makeable barrels on the right swell.

Wave character

Type: Fast, hollow right point/reef break style wave
Best feature: Heavy, square tube sections
Power: Strong and punchy, with real consequence on bigger swells
Ride quality: When it’s on, it offers classic South African barrel surfing with long, drawn-out sections and critical takeoffs

Conditions

Swell: Loves solid south-southwest swell energy
Wind: Best with light offshore or clean westerly conditions
Tide: Tide can be important; too much water can soften it, while lower tides can make it more intense and hollow
Size range: Works from fun but serious surf to very heavy, expert-only conditions when the swell jumps

Crowd and access

Crowd level: Can be crowded when conditions are good, especially with experienced locals and regular J-Bay surfers
Accessibility: Not as famous as Supertubes, but still a respected and potentially dangerous wave requiring local knowledge and a strong level of skill

Suitability

Best for: Advanced to expert surfers
Not ideal for: Beginners or even intermediate surfers who are not comfortable in fast, shallow, barreling waves

Overall feel

Magna Tubes is the kind of spot surfers talk about for its quality barrels, speed, and intensity. On the right day it can deliver some of the most memorable waves in the J-Bay region, but it demands respect, strong positioning, and confidence in hollow surf.