
Surf Forecasts:
Amanzimtoti surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, S swell with 1,731 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period with SE 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 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 10s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Amanzimtoti over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Amanzimtoti. I’ll be honest, the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience. There’s a whole lot of nothing on offer, and the first real glimmer of hope isn’t until a week from now.
The overall pattern is just poor. Strong southerly winds, messy, lumpy seas, and onshore junk. The water temp is 71°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first spot that even gets a look in is Thursday afternoon, the 13th. We’ve got a small 5ft swell from the ESE, but the kicker is the wind: it’s glassy. WNW at 3 mph. That’s the kind of clean you dream about. The energy is weak, only 579, but for a break like this, glassy conditions make all the difference. It’s a marginal call, but that glass makes it the best of a bad bunch. The swell direction is a bit off from the S optimum, so it won’t be perfect, but it’s something.
Friday morning the 14th might be okay too, but it’s got a light cross-shore wind, and the swell is similar at 4ft. Not as clean, so I’d put Thursday afternoon as the standout of the first week. It ain’t big, but it’s clean.
Then we’re back into the doldrums. The weekend is a write-off, weak waves, messy winds. The start of the next week is more of the same. It’s not until the 23rd of August, Sunday, that we see a pulse of energy. It’s a short-period SSW swell, 5ft but with only a 6-second period. That’s windswell junk, and it’s coming with a cross-offshore wind in the morning. It’s a marginal call at best. The energy is weak, 355, so don’t expect any power.
Honestly, the most interesting thing in the whole window is that glassy Thursday the 13th afternoon. It’s the only time the ocean looks like it’s going to cooperate. Everything else is either too messy, too weak, or just plain ugly. For a spot like this, which is fairly consistent, a run this poor is more of a patience test than anything else. It won’t stay flat forever, but you’ll be waiting a while.
So, there it is. If you’ve got a free afternoon on the 13th, get out there. It’s small, but it’ll be clean. Otherwise, maybe dust off the kiteboard, because some of these days with the strong south wind and lumpy waves look more interesting for that than for a surfboard.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSW on Sun night, light winds from the S by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 15 | SSW 8 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
272 | 951 | 1716 | 1698 | 763 | 575 | 394 | 799 | 500 | 362 | 346 | 379 | 270 | 264 | 332 | 271 | 270 | 424 | 510 | 58 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:52AM1.44m | 2:26PM1.46m | 2:44AM1.58m | 3:11PM1.65m | 3:25AM1.70m | 3:50PM1.80m | 4:02AM1.78m | 4:26PM1.89m | 4:37AM1.80m | 5:00PM1.92m | 5:09AM1.78m | 5:32PM1.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:30PM0.50m | 8:11AM0.37m | 8:31PM0.34m | 8:56AM0.21m | 9:17PM0.20m | 9:35AM0.07m | 9:56PM0.10m | 10:09AM-0.02m | 10:32PM0.05m | 10:42AM-0.06m | 11:06PM0.05m | 11:14AM-0.04m | 11:38PM0.10m | |||||||
— | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | 5 | 15 | 3 | — | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | E 10 | S 14 | E 11 |
272 | 60 | 64 | 65 | 71 | 149 | 286 | 799 | 500 | 301 | 346 | 379 | 270 | 264 | 332 | 271 | 270 | 424 | 16 | 595 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | S 13 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SE 8 | S 8 | SE 7 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 13 |
113 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 183 | 173 | 241 | 455 | 362 | 163 | 119 | 100 | 95 | 45 | 65 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 13 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | — | — | — | S 16 | — | SSW 14 | — | SSW 12 | ESE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 11 | S 15 | — | SW 14 |
38 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 394 | — | 265 | 123 | 158 | 131 | 209 | 171 | 207 | 67 | 12 | 4 | — | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | SSW 8 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | E 10 | NE 5 |
28 | 951 | 1716 | 1698 | 763 | 575 | 348 | 398 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 11 | 18 | 510 | 58 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 180 | 838 | 806 | 211 | 20 | 882 | 303 | 20 | 837 | 882 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 25 | 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.











