Surf Forecasts:
Lucien surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, SSE swell with 4,064 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lucien this week:
The surf forecast for Lucien over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lucien in the next 16 days are 4.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lucien over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Lucien. We’ve got a long window ahead, but it’s a bit of a slow starter. The first real action doesn’t kick off until Monday August 31st, but honestly, it’s nothing to write home about.
The week starts with a small, clean wave on Monday. A 4ft east swell, with a period of 9 seconds, coming in at 336 combined energy. The wind is light and cross-off, so the surface will be clean, but the energy is weak (336). It’s a marginal call, not worth getting too excited about. Tuesday, September 1st, is a write-off – onshore wind and small, weak swell. Wednesday, September 2nd, brings a weird one: a 2ft SSW swell but with a very long period of 15 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and the combined energy is moderate (390). The wind is cross-off and clean, but the swell is tiny. This long-period swell needs a point or reef to show its best, but with waves that small, it’s hard to get excited.
The first real standout comes later in the week. Thursday, September 3rd, afternoon is the first time things get interesting. The swell jumps to 7ft from the ENE, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is strong (871). The wind is cross-off, making for clean conditions. This is a solid, surfable size for intermediates, and the clean conditions will make it a good session for those who can handle it. Water temp is about 69°F, which is pretty average for this time of year.
Friday, September 4th, is a mess. The swell hits 15ft with a strong 11-second period, and the energy is enormous (4556). But the wind is howling, cross-onshore and lumpy. This is a full-on, blown-out mess. Only for the experienced, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty. Saturday, September 5th, is still big but messy with onshore winds. Sunday, September 6th, the wind swings offshore again, but the swell is 13ft and strong. It’s gonna be a challenge, especially with the 9-second period breaking fast.
Now, if you’re looking for the absolute best of the whole forecast, you have to look ahead to Wednesday, September 9th. This is the one. We’ve got a 13ft swell from the ESE, with a very long period of 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is very strong (6500). The wind is light and cross-off in the morning, and cross in the afternoon, but still clean. For a break like Lucien, which is a beach and point setup, this long-period swell will be at its best wrapping around the point. This is a day for the experts – the size is big, but the quality will be there. It’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the charts, but it looks promising.
After that, the swell drops off quickly. Thursday, September 10th, is still solid but smaller, and the wind is light. Then from Friday, September 11th, through to the end of the forecast on the 15th, it’s a disappointing run of onshore winds and small, weak swell. The energy drops right off, and there’s nothing worth paddling out for.
So, to keep it simple: the best on offer is the Thursday afternoon, September 3rd, session for a clean, fun-size wave, and the standout expert session is Wednesday, September 9th, for a big, long-period groundswell with clean conditions. Don’t bother with the rest.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Thu morning, min 17°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Thu night, calm by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | S 19 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
262 | 212 | 101 | 154 | 113 | 249 | 463 | 314 | 135 | 650 | 483 | 1134 | 4064 | 1857 | 1088 | 772 | 445 | 355 | 1461 | 1750 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 5:32PM1.82m | 5:42AM1.64m | 6:02PM1.73m | 6:13AM1.53m | 6:36PM1.60m | 6:48AM1.39m | 7:16PM1.43m | 7:34AM1.22m | 8:14PM1.24m | 9:02AM1.06m | 10:36PM1.11m | 12:13PM1.09m | 00:53AM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:41PM0.08m | 11:46AM0.06m | 00:12AM0.17m | 12:18PM0.17m | 00:48AM0.31m | 12:55PM0.33m | 1:33AM0.47m | 1:44PM0.51m | 2:45AM0.64m | 3:25PM0.68m | 5:31AM0.68m | 6:26PM0.65m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 10 |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 28 | 29 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | S 19 | SSW 16 |
262 | 212 | 101 | 154 | 113 | 144 | 463 | 314 | 133 | 650 | 340 | 47 | 22 | 1857 | 1088 | 772 | 163 | 156 | 1461 | 1750 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | ENE 9 | E 8 | — | SSW 12 | — | E 9 | — | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | S 9 |
55 | 19 | 10 | 4 | 73 | 249 | 99 | 52 | — | 274 | — | 64 | — | 47 | 109 | 94 | 108 | 117 | 136 | 407 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SE 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | S 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | S 5 | — | — | — | SW 12 | — | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | S 11 | S 19 | S 13 | E 8 |
11 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 3 | 59 | 15 | 14 | — | — | — | 38 | — | 21 | 73 | 8 | 65 | 63 | 31 | 317 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 4 | E 5 | — | — | SSW 5 | S 5 | NE 8 | ENE 7 | SSW 12 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 11 | — | — | E 8 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 |
— | 28 | 25 | — | — | 45 | 23 | 82 | 135 | 111 | 483 | 1134 | 4064 | — | — | 201 | 445 | 355 | 397 | 191 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 27 | 0 | 72 | 100 | 180 | 0 | 229 | 27 | 8 | 136 | 2684 | 136 | 1509 | 881 | 101 | 100 | 100 | 4 | 255 | 881 |
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 Lucien Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Lucien provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lucien can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lucien 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 (Lucien) 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 Lucien 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.
Lucien is 13 km (8 miles) from Port Shepstone. If you plan a holiday in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Shepstone. Port Shepstone has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











