Live wind
Water & wetsuit
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About this spot
Big Bay is the bay on the northern side of Bloubergstrand, with Table Mountain across the water behind you. From roughly November to March the 'Cape Doctor' — the strong south-easterly summer trade — blows almost daily, and Big Bay has become one of the best-known kite beaches in the world, hosting the Red Bull King of the Air big-air event.
The local kite club describes a mixture of flat water and waves here and lists SE, S and SW as the working directions. On this west-facing coast the south-easter blows side-shore to side-offshore from the left, so it is strong and can be gusty — local schools quote a range of about 10–40 kn. The water is cold because of the Benguela current: around 13 °C in winter and up to about 20 °C in summer, with schools recommending 3/2 mm in summer and 5/4 mm in winter.
Big Bay is used for teaching: SA Kitesurf brings students here for body-dragging and first water starts because the waves are usually smaller and the water shallow enough to stand. There are two swim zones riders must keep clear of — Klein Baai, the tempting flat water south of the rocks, and the lifeguarded zone in front of the lifeguard station.
3-day forecast
Speed / gusts in knots. Colour = rideability for this spot. Bottom row = recommended kite size for your weight — not recommended outside this spot's 14–38 kn range.
Conditions
- Water
- flat, choppy, waves
- Depth
- Standing depth in the shallows close to the beach; waves and deeper water further out.
- Seabed
- sand, rocky outcrops
- Skill
- beginner, intermediate, expert
- Beginners
- Beginner friendly
- Wind range
- 14 kn – 38 kn
Access & parking
About 25 km north of Cape Town city centre along the Otto du Plessis / Marine Drive coastal road.
Parking: Public parking along the beachfront at Big Bay; check for fees and car-guard arrangements on site.
Amenities
- Kite schools teach here (SA Kitesurf uses Big Bay for water lessons); the Cape Town Kite Club lodge is 100 m from the beach.
- Lifeguard station, restaurants and surf shops at the beachfront.
Needs local verification: Compiled in October 2026 from the schools' and club's own pages (SA Kitesurf teaching spots, Cape Town Kite Club spot guide, Good Vibes Kite School, Open Ocean Africa, Visit Witsand). Exact launch pins, swim-zone boundaries, municipal or SANParks rules (Langebaan lagoon sits partly inside West Coast National Park zoning), parking fees, rescue cover and the current shark-spotter status all still need confirming on site — coordinates are beach or bay centres, not verified launch points.
Local hazards
- Keep clear of the Klein Baai swim zone south of the rocks and of the lifeguarded zone in front of the lifeguard station.
- The south-easter can blow 30–40 kn and gusty — have a small kite ready and do not overpower.
- Cold Benguela water (about 13–20 °C) — a full wetsuit is needed even in summer.
- Rocks around the point and seal island at the northern end of the bay.
- Easterly and north-easterly winds are offshore on this coast — do not ride in them.