Surf Forecasts:
Dairy Beach (New Pier) surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, S swell with 3,390 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dairy Beach (New Pier) this week:
The surf forecast for Dairy Beach (New Pier) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Dairy Beach (New Pier) in the next 16 days are 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dairy Beach (New Pier) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, grab a coffee and settle in. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast. The long-range picture is a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a couple of bright spots if you’re patient. Let’s run through it.
The next few days are a write-off. We’re looking at weak, onshore slop from Monday the 31st of August through Thursday the 3rd of September. The combined energy is weak to moderate (235 to 207), with winds blowing straight onshore or cross-off, but the swell is tiny and short-period. It’s just not worth the paddle. You’ll get a long gap of nothing until things start to stir.
The first real action kicks off on Friday the 4th of September. An early morning pulse arrives at Dairy Beach (New Pier) with an 8-foot south swell, but it’s a bit raw. By Friday afternoon, the swell jumps to a massive 13-foot from the SSE at 10 seconds, and the combined energy rockets up to 3542. That’s proper strong, but for Dairy Beach, it’s just too big. The wind is a cross-off, but the size is only for the brave and experienced. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Now, the true standout. Saturday the 5th of September is the one to circle. The morning session is looking excellent for experienced surfers. We’ve got a solid 10-foot swell from the SE, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a hefty 2950. The wind is a light, cross-off breeze from the SSW, which will keep the faces clean. The break is consistent and fairly exposed to the east, which is the optimum direction for this swell. This is the best on offer, no doubt. Crowds are likely here, but with conditions like this, it’s worth sharing the lineup.
Saturday afternoon drops a notch to 8 feet, with a light cross-on wind, but it’s still surfable.
Sunday the 6th of September has a similar 8-foot swell, but the wind is a bit messy. The morning is onshore, but the afternoon cleans up with a light cross-off from the south, making for another decent session for experienced surfers. The energy is still strong at 1861.
Monday the 7th of September brings a tricky one. We’ve got an 8-foot swell from the south with a very long 15-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is 2815. However, the wind is howling from the ESE at 22 mph, creating lumpy cross-chop. For a beach/pier setup like Dairy Beach, that long period groundswell might break a bit too straight and be tricky to handle. It’s only for the dedicated.
From Tuesday the 8th of September onwards, the window slams shut again. The wind goes straight onshore from the NE, and the swell drops away into the poor category. The combined energy drops to moderate levels (680-1010), but the wind is just brutal. We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing until the 11th of September, but even then, the swell is tiny (3 feet or less) with weak energy (141-172). It’s surfable but very ordinary.
The 15th of September shows a weird spike – a 2-foot swell from the south with a 15-second period, but the energy is only 346 and the wind is onshore, so it’s another miss.
So, to wrap it up: the first week is mostly a bust. The absolute standout is Saturday morning, the 5th of September. Get up early, paddle out at Dairy Beach, and you’ll be rewarded with a solid, clean south-east swell. Sunday afternoon is a decent backup. After that, it’s back to waiting.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Thu morning, min 18°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Warm (max 27°C on Thu night, min 17°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Thu night, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 | E 9 | ENE 5 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | SSE 8 | S 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
196 | 153 | 73 | 169 | 137 | 119 | 52 | 289 | 923 | 262 | 650 | 2548 | 2210 | 948 | 513 | 449 | 251 | 1012 | 3085 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 5:42AM1.88m | 6:03PM1.95m | 6:14AM1.78m | 6:36PM1.81m | 6:50AM1.63m | 7:14PM1.63m | 7:38AM1.45m | 8:11PM1.44m | 9:12AM1.29m | 10:28PM1.30m | 12:19PM1.33m | 00:53AM1.40m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:42PM0.26m | 11:48AM0.23m | 00:13AM0.35m | 12:20PM0.36m | 00:47AM0.49m | 12:57PM0.54m | 1:31AM0.65m | 1:46PM0.74m | 2:44AM0.82m | 3:39PM0.92m | 5:32AM0.86m | 6:39PM0.85m | |||||||
— | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
5:39 | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
Temp °C | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 33 | 33 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 20 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 5 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | ENE 8 | SSW 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SE 8 | E 9 | S 21 | S 17 |
196 | 153 | 42 | 169 | 137 | 419 | 527 | 145 | 117 | 262 | 79 | 71 | 2210 | 948 | 235 | 274 | 251 | 849 | 3085 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | E 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | ENE 8 | E 8 | SSW 14 | — | — | E 10 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 8 | E 9 | — |
22 | 11 | 69 | 38 | 167 | 119 | 52 | 189 | — | — | 68 | 28 | 68 | 67 | 68 | 333 | 103 | 110 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | S 10 | SSW 7 | S 7 | NE 8 | SSW 5 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | S 15 | S 14 | S 12 | SSW 11 | — | — |
4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 82 | 25 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 113 | 106 | 108 | 123 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 4 | ENE 5 | — | S 3 | S 5 | — | NE 7 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 11 | — | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | — | SSE 8 | SE 8 |
— | 8 | 73 | — | 7 | 22 | — | 289 | 923 | 527 | 650 | 2548 | — | 137 | 513 | 449 | — | 1012 | 774 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 155 | 18 | 1 | 218 | 403 | 218 | 1424 | 2612 | 780 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Dairy Beach (New Pier) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Dairy Beach (New Pier) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Dairy Beach (New Pier) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Dairy Beach (New Pier) 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 (Dairy Beach (New Pier)) 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 Dairy Beach (New Pier) 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 Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Dairy Beach (New Pier), camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, consider staying in Durban which is 5 km (3 miles) away. Other places in and around Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Glenwood which is 6 km (4 miles) away, Kwamashu, Umhlanga and Mount Edgecombe.











