
Surf Forecasts:
Alkantstrand surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, ENE swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 6,459 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Alkantstrand this week:
The surf forecast for Alkantstrand over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 2.0m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Alkantstrand in the next 16 days are 5.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 21st Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Alkantstrand over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for Alkantstrand over the next couple of weeks. Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a bit of a slow start. The first proper surf day isn’t until Tuesday the 15th, and even then, it’s not really for the faint of heart.
We kick things off on Monday the 14th with a messy, onshore blow from the NE at 22 mph, and a weak 5ft ESE swell that’s just junk. No one’s getting out in that. Skip it.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 15th brings a solid pulse of swell – 8ft from the ENE, with a combined energy of 1776 – that’s strong, powerful stuff. The wind swings around to a light NNE cross-onshore in the morning, and even goes glassy in the afternoon with only 3 mph. Problem is, that 8ft is a bit of a handful. It’s right on the edge, maybe too big for a beginner but a ripper for the experienced crew. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is about average for this time of year, so no need for a thick steamer.
Wednesday the 16th the swell drops a touch to 6ft but the wind is cross-onshore from the ESE in the morning, making for bumpy conditions. The afternoon cleans up nicely though, with a stiff 16 mph offshore from the SSW, but the tide and swell aren’t really playing ball – it’s a marginal call.
Now, Thursday the 17th is where you want to be looking. Early morning, we’ve got a 7ft swell from the S with light offshore winds from the SSW at 6 mph. Clean as a whistle. The combined energy is hefty at 1228, and while the period is a short 8 seconds, the wind makes it work. This is the standout session for the week. It’s offering excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds up too, with 6ft from the SSE and offshore winds.
We hit a bit of a lull after that. Friday the 18th has some OK waves in the afternoon – 7ft from the SSE with clean cross-offshore wind – but it’s not the quality of Thursday.
Then Saturday the 19th gets blown out again. Huge onshore winds from the ENE at 16 mph and an 8ft SE swell that’s just a messy wall of white water. Not worth it.
There’s a big gap from the 19th through to the 21st where the wind is just wrong – mostly onshore and strong. Sunday the 20th is a write-off, and Monday the 21st morning has clean offshore wind, but the swell drops to 6ft and the score isn’t there. The afternoon of the 21st gets scary – 15ft from the SSW with a near gale offshore. That’s expert-only, and even then, you’d be mad to paddle out. Combined energy is through the roof at 3627.
Tuesday the 22nd still has a big 8ft to 7ft S swell, but the wind is either strong offshore (25 mph – hard to paddle into) or clean cross-offshore. It’s another one for the big-wave chargers only.
After that, it kinda fizzles. There’s a small, promising window on Wednesday the 24th in the afternoon – 4ft from the SE, light wind, clean – but it’s small and marginal. Thursday the 25th is a back-off with 2ft and onshore winds.
The last week of September – from the 26th to the 29th – is dominated by onshore winds and smaller swells in the 4ft to 8ft range. A few of those days have clean wind, but the swell is either too short-period (7 seconds) or the direction is off. Not much to get excited about.
Best bet: Thursday morning the 17th. That’s the call. Clean, solid, and goin’ off. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or too small.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 18°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNE on Mon night, calm by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
367 | 800 | 1076 | 826 | 761 | 650 | 569 | 382 | 491 | 402 | 428 | 510 | 651 | 1522 | 1600 | 1351 | 716 | 546 | 546 | 641 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | on | cross-off | off | on | on | on | on | on | off |
High Tide | 5:23PM1.97m | 5:32AM1.83m | 5:47PM1.83m | 5:57AM1.70m | 6:11PM1.67m | 6:22AM1.54m | 6:35PM1.49m | 6:47AM1.37m | 7:01PM1.32m | 7:19AM1.19m | 7:45PM1.14m | 11:25AM1.04m | 00:39AM1.13m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:29PM0.12m | 11:37AM0.13m | 11:54PM0.24m | 12:03PM0.28m | 00:19AM0.38m | 12:28PM0.45m | 00:45AM0.55m | 12:54PM0.63m | 1:18AM0.73m | 1:29PM0.82m | 2:49AM0.90m | 6:06PM0.93m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | |
5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 11 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 |
Temp °C | 25 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 22 |
Feels °C | 20 | 17 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSW 14 | E 9 | SSW 12 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 7 | E 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 9 |
367 | 65 | 646 | 29 | 761 | 650 | 569 | 377 | 315 | 333 | 428 | 510 | 651 | 1522 | 1600 | 1351 | 716 | 546 | 546 | 641 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | — | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 13 | E 10 | SSW 14 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 18 |
107 | 152 | 54 | — | 25 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 400 | 41 | 219 | 159 | 129 | 99 | 71 | 84 | 70 | 17 | 14 | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | — | — | S 19 | S 16 | S 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NE 7 | S 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | — | S 16 | — | SSW 11 |
7 | — | — | — | 7 | 5 | 4 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 131 | 139 | 89 | 22 | 32 | 24 | — | 5 | — | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | — | — | SSW 3 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | — | — | SW 5 | — | — | E 8 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | — |
161 | 800 | 1076 | 826 | — | — | 2 | 382 | 491 | 402 | — | — | 49 | — | — | 52 | 177 | 181 | 181 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 578 | 256 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 157 | 1057 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 392 | 625 | 559 | 157 | 256 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Alkantstrand Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Alkantstrand provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Alkantstrand can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Alkantstrand surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Alkantstrand) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Alkantstrand may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Alkantstrand, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, consider staying in Richards Bay which is 1 km (1 miles) away. Other places in and around KwaZulu-Natal North Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Richards Bay which is 1 km (1 miles) away, Empangeni, eSikhawini and Eshowe.










