Overview

Supertubes is one of the most famous point breaks in the world, a WSL World Surf League championship tour stop. This reef produces perfect tubing waves during southwest swells. For kitesurfing, this is a spot reserved for absolute experts due to the reef, powerful waves, and sharing the water with surfers. Kiting is generally NOT welcome at Supertubes when surfers are in the water. Check local rules and surfer presence before riding.

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Spot forecast for Supertubes

Sunrise 05:32 · Sunset 18:37

Open-Meteo

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Swell and waves

Swell and tides over 8 days. Premium members see the swell and tides over 8 days. Without a subscription: 5 days.

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Wave height: < 0.5 m 0.5–1 m 1–2 m 2–3 m ≥ 3 m

Swell data by Open-Meteo Marine

Tides

Heights above lowest astronomical tide, in the spot's local time. Computed 3.6 km from the spot.

Tuesday 20 October Low tide 05:30 · 0.8 m High tide 12:12 · 1.2 m Low tide 18:34 · 0.8 m
Wednesday 21 October High tide 00:24 · 1.2 m Low tide 06:30 · 0.7 m High tide 12:55 · 1.4 m Low tide 19:12 · 0.6 m
Thursday 22 October High tide 01:09 · 1.3 m Low tide 07:07 · 0.5 m High tide 13:27 · 1.5 m Low tide 19:43 · 0.5 m
Friday 23 October High tide 01:43 · 1.5 m Low tide 07:39 · 0.4 m High tide 13:56 · 1.7 m Low tide 20:12 · 0.3 m
Saturday 24 October High tide 02:15 · 1.6 m Low tide 08:10 · 0.3 m High tide 14:25 · 1.8 m Low tide 20:42 · 0.2 m

Supertubes: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

291h

in January · 30.5 rideable days

The season runs from September to March, peaking in January: 28 rideable days a month and 291 hours of usable wind, at 24 °C. The low point is July, at 7.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 72%13-20 knots · 27%21-30 knots · under 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 72% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is July, at 19 °C. The wettest month is October, with 75 mm.

Monthly averages: Supertubes

Monthly averages — Supertubes — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	30.5	291 h	25 °C	43 mm
February	27.0	233 h	25 °C	21 mm
March	29.5	190 h	25 °C	35 mm
April	21.5	129 h	23 °C	50 mm
May	17.0	66 h	23 °C	8 mm
June	8.5	35 h	20 °C	62 mm
July	7.5	25 h	19 °C	24 mm
August	18.0	79 h	20 °C	8 mm
September	23.5	146 h	20 °C	23 mm
October	29.0	215 h	22 °C	75 mm
November	29.0	266 h	23 °C	41 mm
December	30.0	289 h	25 °C	14 mm

Photo gallery of Supertubes

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Technical details of Supertubes spot

The spot works with winds from ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW.

Rideable Not rideable

Spot functioning

The spot works with SW swell that creates perfect waves on the reef. Kiting is possible with SE wind but ONLY when surfers are not in the water. In practice, best kiting conditions (strong SE) coincide with degraded surf conditions, creating opportunity windows. Mid-high to high tide for the best waves. Reef spot — DO NOT ride without thorough knowledge of the reef.

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Expert

On the water

Waves of 1.5-3 metres on the reef, reaching 4 metres during large swells. Rocky reef bottom — very dangerous. Powerful tubing waves. Strong currents along the reef. Water temperature between 18-22°C. 3/2 wetsuit in summer, 4/3 in winter. Helmet recommended.

Parking

Dedicated parking at Supertubes, well signposted from the J-Bay coastal road. Free parking. Direct view of the break from the parking. Limited facilities on site. Shops and restaurants in J-Bay minutes away.

Wind specificities

Southeast wind blows side-onshore. For surfing, SE is considered onshore and degrades the waves. Best surf conditions are with offshore (NW) wind. For kite wave riding, SE works but makes waves less clean. Typical strength of 15-25 knots in summer. Wind can be strong with significant gusts.

Hazards

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SPOT. Shallow rocky reef — risk of serious injury. Powerful tubing waves. Sharks — J-Bay is known for great whites (incident during 2015 WSL event). Major conflicts possible with surfers if local rules are not respected. Strong currents. Reserved for experts with confirmed kite wave riding experience on reef. DO NOT ride without knowing the spot.

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Supertubes kitesurf and surf spot