Surf Forecasts:
Amanzimtoti surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, SSW swell with 2,925 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Amanzimtoti this week:
The surf forecast for Amanzimtoti over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Amanzimtoti in the next 16 days are 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Amanzimtoti over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Amanzimtoti over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a frustrating start. Wednesday morning is a write-off – clean-looking skies but a cross-shore breeze and messy, poor surf. The swell is a weak 3 feet from the SSW with a long 14-second period, but the energy is nothing special (480). Wednesday afternoon cleans up a touch with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is still only 3 feet and the whole thing is very marginal. Not worth paddling out for.
Thursday the 20th gets a bit more size, but the wind is a problem. Morning brings 8 feet of SSW swell, but it’s cross-onshore with a fresh breeze and lumpy – poor surf. Thursday afternoon drops to 6 feet, but still cross-onshore and choppy. Nothing doing.
Friday the 21st: we’ve got 6 feet of SSW swell in the morning with a 13-second period, but it’s cross-shore and a bit chopped. The energy is strong (1010), but the conditions are only marginal. Afternoon is similar but smaller. Still not a standout.
Saturday the 22nd morning is the first real flicker of hope. The swell is small at 3 feet, but the wind is light and cross-off, making for clean conditions. The SSW swell has a lovely 12-second period and the energy is moderate (198). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. For a beginner, this could be a fun, clean little session. The afternoon gets wrecked by a strong 25 mph cross-onshore wind – avoid.
Sunday the 23rd: morning brings a solid 8 feet of SSW swell with an 11-second period. That’s a lot of energy (1597), but the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, making it a bit choppy. This is for experienced surfers only – too big for beginners. The afternoon improves: 7 feet of S swell, 12-second period, and an onshore wind that’s very light. Marginal, but there might be a window.
Monday the 24th is the best bet of the first week. Morning has 7 feet of S swell, 14-second period, and a light cross-shore breeze. The energy is strong (1531). It’s a bit lumpy, but it’s clean and rideable. The afternoon is similar: 5 feet, 15-second period, light cross-shore. This is the pick of the early days – a solid, long-period groundswell with manageable wind. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.
From Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the month, the wind turns sour. The swell sticks around, but it’s mostly cross-onshore and choppy. There’s a lot of energy in the water – some days over 1000 – but the conditions are poor. Not recommended.
Now, here’s the standout. Look ahead to Saturday morning, the 29th of August. The swell is a clean 4 feet from the S, with a 13-second period and a light cross-off breeze. The wind is gentle, the surf is clean, and the energy is moderate (604). This is the best on offer in the whole 16-day window. It’s not huge, but it’s clean, and the conditions are set to be very good. A classic morning session for Amanzimtoti.
Sunday the 30th sees a big jump in size – 8 feet of S swell in the morning, 10-second period, and a gentle cross-shore. That’s a lot of energy (1239) and it’s marginal. The afternoon bumps to 8 feet with an onshore wind and very strong energy (2591). That’s expert-only territory.
After that, the first few days of September are a dud. Small, weak, and messy. Monday the 31st of August is blown out by strong winds, and Tuesday the 1st of September has tiny, weak swell. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are flat and poor.
Bottom line: Monday the 24th is the best of the early going, and Saturday the 29th is the real standout – clean, offshore wind, and a nice long-period S swell. Everything else is either too windy, too big, or too small. Keep your eyes on that Saturday morning.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 13 | S 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
160 | 330 | 352 | 400 | 762 | 386 | 2080 | 989 | 506 | 246 | 198 | 850 | 2296 | 1597 | 1248 | 1514 | 1531 | 1121 | 739 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:04AM1.35m | 7:26PM1.36m | 7:34AM1.20m | 8:02PM1.20m | 8:21AM1.05m | 9:30PM1.05m | 12:09PM0.98m | 00:56AM1.09m | 1:47PM1.12m | 1:55AM1.24m | 2:24PM1.29m | 2:29AM1.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:06AM0.43m | 1:10PM0.44m | 1:38AM0.57m | 1:43PM0.60m | 2:24AM0.71m | 2:38PM0.76m | 4:48AM0.81m | 6:12PM0.82m | 7:31AM0.70m | 7:46PM0.68m | 8:12AM0.54m | 8:23PM0.53m | |||||||
— | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
5:32 | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 31 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 28 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 14 | ENE 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 13 | S 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 |
160 | 145 | 352 | 149 | 156 | 149 | 2080 | 989 | 506 | 246 | 198 | 127 | 36 | 1597 | 1248 | 1514 | 1531 | 1121 | 739 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSW 14 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 9 | E 9 | NE 5 |
26 | 330 | 89 | 127 | 36 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 14 | 14 | 22 | 14 | 27 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SE 4 | — | — | NE 7 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 9 | — | — | E 9 |
64 | 5 | — | — | 13 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | SSW 14 | SSW 8 | S 8 | — | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 |
— | — | 21 | 400 | 762 | 386 | — | — | 12 | 114 | 204 | 850 | 2296 | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | 31 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 25 | 25 | 134 | 241 | 258 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 0 | 236 | 20 | 20 | 27 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Amanzimtoti Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Amanzimtoti provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Amanzimtoti can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Amanzimtoti 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 (Amanzimtoti) 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 Amanzimtoti 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.
Amanzimtoti is 9 km (6 miles) from Umlazi. If you plan a holiday in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Umlazi. Umlazi has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











