MapSouth AfricaBlouberg – Big Bay, Cape TownBloubergstrandBlouberg – Big Bay, Cape Town

Bloubergstrand

Western Cape · Cape Town - Blouberg/Big Bay · City of Cape Town · Bloubergstrand / Table View, Cape Town

also known as Table View, Kite Beach, Blouberg

Part of Blouberg – Big Bay, Cape Town →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

not for beginnershigh crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Nov–Mar

Months riders and schools name

How windy

20-40 kn

Character: mixed · cross-shore

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

16.5 °C in summerOcean beach with chop, small-to-medium waves and cleaner wave faces around Big Bay/Outers

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Intermediate to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Nov Dec Jan Feb

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Town International Airport (CPT)

Transfer times under Getting there

On the clock

15:00 · 18:00

Lightest in the morning, building from mid-morning, hardest between roughly 15:00 and 18:00 and often still powered at sunset. Big Bay at the north end fills in later than Kite Beach and Dolphin Beach.

The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Kite Beachalso a name for this spot
Doodlesno page yet
Haakgatno page yet
Melkbosstrandno page yet
Langebaan Lagoon
Muizenbergno page yet

The spot

Bloubergstrand is the Cape Town kite coast: Big Bay, Kite Beach and Dolphin Beach in one strip facing Table Mountain across Table Bay. The summer wind is the Cape Doctor, a south-easter that runs from October or November through March and usually builds through the afternoon.

Water and waves

The water is cold Benguela water with chop and waves, and enough wind for big air; nobody comes here for warm flat-water cruising. Big Bay has the cleanest organised waves and some flat ground between the sets, but it is narrower and rockier, and more tide-sensitive than the open beaches either side of it. Independent beginners should be careful: schools do teach on this strip, but it suits intermediate and advanced riders unless somebody is watching you.

Facilities and season

Lifeguards and beach facilities are listed at Big Bay, and no dedicated kite rescue exists anywhere along here. December to February is the peak of the wind and the peak of the crowd, and the event weeks are worse again.

The wind

locals call it Cape Doctor

Direction

cross-shoreSE to S/SE in summer

Dominant direction

SE to S/SE in summer; NW is less reliable and more associated with winter/bad-weather systems

Kite sizes

456789101112

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

The standard travelling quiver is two kites: 7 and 9 m for an average-weight man, 5 and 8 m for a lighter rider. A 75-85 kg rider rides the 9 m early and the 7 m once the afternoon fills in, and wants a 5 m for the strongest days. Above 10 m is rarely needed in season.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

10-40 knots across the year on this stretch, with 20-40 the working band on a summer afternoon and up to 45 on the strongest peak-season days.

Typical strength

20-40 kn on strong summer days, and 25-45 kn quoted for the peak of the season. One annual station average of 10 kn still circulates; the station is no longer reporting and the figure is not current.

Mostly strong and usable in season, but Big Bay can be gusty on the beach/near shore and gustier when very strong.

The season is the southern summer: usable from October or November, core December to February, tailing off through March. Around five days a week deliver wind in the core months. November and March are the quiet shoulders - most of the wind, a fraction of the people.

Winter wind is northwesterly and frontal, unreliable, and comes with heavy surf.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

12 ktJan19°
–Feb19°
–Mar18°
–Apr17°
9 ktMay16°
–Jun16°
–Jul15°
–Aug15°
–Sep15°
–Oct16°
–Nov17°
–Dec18°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Monthly averages. Highlighted: the months riders and schools name (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar).

Measured at Cape Town (city climate station), ~14 km from the spot (not stated on page (WeatherSpark uses a multi-year, MERRA-2-based modeled climate record, typically ~1980-2016; no exact station-year count given)).

Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	11.9 kt	S	20.6 °C	18.9 °C
Feb	no figure	S	20.6 °C	18.9 °C
Mar	no figure	S	19.4 °C	17.8 °C
Apr	no figure	S	17.2 °C	16.7 °C
May	9.4 kt	S/N	15 °C	16.1 °C
Jun	no figure	N	13.3 °C	15.6 °C
Jul	no figure	N	12.8 °C	15 °C
Aug	no figure	N/W	13.3 °C	15 °C
Sep	no figure	S	14.4 °C	15 °C
Oct	no figure	S	16.1 °C	15.6 °C
Nov	no figure	S	17.8 °C	16.7 °C
Dec	no figure	S	20 °C	17.8 °C

How this was measuredmeasured · not stated on page (WeatherSpark uses a multi-year, MERRA-2-based modeled climate record, typically ~1980-2016; no exact station-year count given)

A ground station recorded this, at the distance the page names.

A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Cape Town (city climate station) · weatherspark · not stated on page (WeatherSpark uses a multi-year, MERRA-2-based modeled climate record, typically ~1980-2016; no exact station-year count given)

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

Not a standing spot. Open Atlantic beach, sand bottom, shore break and wave lines; the flat water riders talk about is the smooth ground between the waves, not anything you can wade in.No section of the Blouberg/Table View strip has been documented as a shallow learner flat - that is what the Langebaan lagoon an hour up the coast is for.

Tides

Semi-diurnal with a range that matters. Springs run about 1.6-1.7 m, neaps closer to half a metre.At Big Bay high water shrinks the beach until there is little room to lay out lines, while the same high water gives the biggest flat patches between the wave lines; further down the strip at Dolphin Beach the smoothest water between the kickers also comes on the higher tides, and Doodles turns into a steep shore dump.

Temperature

16.5 °C summer · 14.3 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 15–19 °C

Wetsuit

Full wetsuit normally required year-round; local guidance ranges from 3/2 mm in summer to 4/3 or 5/4 in colder or windier conditions.

Currents

Cold Benguela-influenced Atlantic water, with a lateral current setting north along the beach that builds as the wind builds.

Conditions

Ocean beach with chop, small-to-medium waves and cleaner wave faces around Big Bay/Outers; some flat sections appear between wave lines close to shore. Kelp/weed occurs at Big Bay. Water temperatures vary materially with upwelling and weather. Standing-depth teaching conditions are unconfirmed for Bloubergstrand itself.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

not for beginners here

Intermediate to advanced for independent riders: strong wind, waves, chop, crowds, rocks, plus a launch that shrinks with the tide. Lessons do run in Blouberg and Big Bay is sometimes sold as beginner or intermediate water, but a first session belongs with an instructor, or an hour up the coast at Langebaan.

The scene

What riders come here for

freeridebig airwavesfreestyledownwinders

Who it suitsbeginner

International big-air and wave hub with a heavy visiting-rider scene in summer, local schools and shops nearby, and the Table Mountain/Robben Island backdrop. Big Bay has promenade infrastructure and cafes, while Kite Beach/Dolphin Beach tend to be the school/pro training magnets.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

16 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

4 spots nearby

All 4 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

Lifeguards are listed for Big Bay Beach and a volunteer surf lifesaving club patrols there from the first weekend in November until after Easter, Saturdays 14:00-18:00 and Sundays 10:00-18:00, duty tower 087 470 1363. Dolphin Beach has no lifeguards at all.

Rescue and safety

There is no dedicated kite rescue anywhere on the strip: sea rescue is 112 from a mobile or 087 094 9774, and the standing advice if you are in trouble is to stay with the kite, which floats and is visible from a long way off. Schools cover their own students and their own downwinders.

Launch

Sandy Atlantic beach launch along the Blouberg/Table View strip; at Big Bay there is beach or grass rigging near the parking area, with rocks at both sides of the bay and a narrower tidal beach. Kite Beach/Dolphin Beach are commonly used by schools and as easier reference launches on the same stretch.

Hazards riders report 26 reported

Wind

Very strong, gusty wind during peak Cape Doctor events
Cold Atlantic water and wind chill; hypothermia risk without a proper wetsuit.
Very strong, gusty wind during peak Cape Doctor events, 30-40+ knots and gustier near the beach

Crowds and zones

Crowded launch and riding area in peak summer, especially December to February and around major big-air events.
Crowded launch and riding area from December to February and around big-air events

Bottom

Rocky outcrops along parts of the beach
Rocks at both sides of Big Bay and rocky outcrops along parts of Bloubergstrand.
Kelp/weed reported around Big Bay.
Rocks at both sides of Big Bay and rocky outcrops along parts of Bloubergstrand
Kelp and weed around Big Bay

Waves and currents

Cold water from the Benguela current; hypothermia risk without a proper wetsuit.
High tide can reduce usable beach space at Big Bay for rigging and launching.
Waves, shorebreak and chop; Big Bay and nearby spots can become technical when swell is running.
High tide can leave little usable beach at Big Bay for rigging and launching
Waves, shorebreak and chop; the spot turns technical when a swell is running
Lateral current setting north along the beach, building with the wind

Protected areas and rules

Marine nature reserve nearby; know where the protected-area boundaries run.

Other

Strong Cape Doctor days can reach 30-40+ kn and are not forgiving for inexperienced riders.
Low sun during evening sessions can make it hard to see other riders while heading out.
Vehicle break-ins at beach car parks; leave nothing visible in the car.
Seals and dolphins are common in the bay. Shark risk gets raised for this coast, but there has been no kitesurfer incident at Blouberg.
Cold Benguela-influenced Atlantic water; hypothermia risk without a proper wetsuit
Low evening sun makes other riders hard to see when heading out
Vehicle break-ins at beach car parks; the Sunset Beach lot has the worst reputation on the strip
No lifeguards at Dolphin Beach, and only weekend volunteer patrols at Big Bay in season
Seals and dolphins are common in the bay; shark risk gets raised for this coast, and there has been no kitesurfer incident here.

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: no kitesurf-specific permit or zoning rule is published for Blouberg/Big Bay. The official Big Bay Beach page lists kitesurfing and windsurfing as activities alongside lifeguards, toilets, parking and a boat launch/slipway.

Swimming zones

Two swimming areas at Big Bay are to be kept clear whether or not lifeguards are present: Klein Baai/Small Bay south of the rocks, and the flagged zone in front of the lifeguard station; pass behind swimmers and surfers rather than through them. Never kite inside a flagged swimming area, launch and land away from bystanders, and clear lines off the sand once you have landed.

Beach rules

City beach rules under the Coastal By-law, 2020 apply generally, and read the beach signage - prohibitions include alcohol, fires and fireworks, unauthorised trading, loudspeakers, overnight camping, fishing near bathing areas, motorised craft near swimmers, and bathing within 50 m of a jetty or public launch site.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

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Rider tips

Bring a small quiver: 7 and 9 m cover the season for an average-weight rider.
Wear a full wetsuit even in summer; upwelling and wind chill make the water feel far colder than the air does.
Check the tide before rigging at Big Bay, where high water leaves little line space, and drop down to Dolphin Beach or Kite Beach if the corner is crowded or too technical.
Aim for November or March if you would rather have the wind than the crowd; December to February is the busiest and the most expensive.
Start at the Langebaan lagoon if you are a true beginner. Nothing on this strip is shallow enough to learn in unsupervised.
Put the sea rescue numbers in your phone before you launch: 112 from a mobile, or 087 094 9774.

Getting there

Airport

Cape Town International Airport (CPT)

Route

Drive north from central Cape Town or the airport on the N1/R27 Marine Drive corridor to Table View, then on to Blouberg and Big Bay. A rental car earns its keep for downwinders, alternate beaches and no-wind days; Uber and the MyCiTi bus cover the short hops.

Transfer

45-60 minutes from Cape Town International to Blouberg in typical traffic, about 25 km. The 30 minutes quoted locally only holds with clear roads.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Most kite visitors base in Blouberg, Table View or Big Bay for beach access; options include beach apartments, guesthouses, hostels/kite houses and rentals, with peak-season prices higher around Christmas and early January.

No-wind days

Cape Town city, Table Mountain, wine/food trips, Boulders penguins, Cape of Good Hope, surf at Muizenberg, and nearby kite day trips such as Langebaan when conditions suit.

Photos

captioned Kite surfers near Bloubergstrand, Table Bay, direct match — Rute Martins of Leoa's Photography (www.leoa.co.za) / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Bloubergstrand?

The main season runs from around November to March, driven by the Cape Doctor, a strong south-easterly that often builds through the afternoon.

Is Bloubergstrand suitable for beginners?

Independent beginners should be cautious; the strong wind, waves, chop, rocks and crowds make it better suited to intermediate and advanced riders, though local schools do teach here.

What is the wind like at Bloubergstrand?

Expect cross-shore wind that is often light in the morning and strong by afternoon, typically 20-40 knots on strong summer days.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Yes, several schools operate in the Blouberg area, including High Five Kitesurf School, Coastline Kitesurfing and Open Ocean Africa.

The bigger pictureEverything about Cape Town - Blouberg/Big Bay

Last updated: August 2026