Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, S swell with 2,611 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for North Beach this week:
The surf forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 2.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for North Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and I’ll be straight with you – there’s some real frustration ahead, but also a couple of windows that could be worth the wait.
The first call is for Monday afternoon, 24th August. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the S, but it’s pretty weak with combined energy of just 186. The wind is cross-on from the ENE at 9 mph, which is making things a bit choppy. The water is sitting at 71°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there. Honestly, this one’s a skip – the surf is poor and the conditions aren’t doing it any favours.
Tuesday 25th sees a shift. The morning offers a 3ft SW swell, but with a very long period of 16 seconds, giving it a solid 391 energy. The wind is cross from the S at 9 mph, but it’s still a bit lumpy. The afternoon is similar, with a 2ft S swell and an even longer 18-second period, energy jumping to 542. The wind stays cross, but the surf is still only marginal. It’s a tease – you can see the quality potential in the swell, but the conditions aren’t quite locking in.
Wednesday 26th morning is the first real standout. Swell is 4ft from the S, period a massive 18 seconds, and the energy is now 787. There’s a light breeze from the S at 6 mph, making it a light cross-shore with just small wind ripples. This is clean, it’s got some push, and that long period groundswell will make for some nice, lined-up waves. The water is still 71°. This is the best bet in the first week. The afternoon gets a bit bigger – 5ft – but the wind swings slightly cross-on, so it’s a little less clean.
Then things go south. From Thursday 27th through to Sunday 30th, the wind cranks onshore from the NE, gusting up to 28 mph. The swell builds to 12ft, but the energy is off the charts (over 1800) and it’s just a choppy, messy mess. This is kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The period drops to 8-10 seconds, making it short and lumpy. The water temperature is still around 71°, but you won’t be enjoying it. There’s a gap of about four days of no good surf here.
Monday 31st morning is a bit of a reprieve, but the wind is strong from the S at 19 mph, cross-shore, and it’s lumpy. The afternoon sees a cross-off breeze from the SSW, which cleans it up, but the swell is only 4ft from the E, with 417 energy. It’s clean, but small. Tuesday 1st September morning has an onshore wind from the ENE, and it’s not great. Afternoon sees a risk of thunderstorms, but the wind drops to nearly nothing (ESE 3 mph) and the swell is 4ft from the E, period 9 seconds. It’s marginal, but the lack of wind might make it rideable.
The second week is a bit of a wild card. The 4th of September has a big swell – 8ft to 10ft from the S and SSE, with periods around 11 seconds and energy over 1700. The wind is cross-off from the SW, which is clean, but the swell is simply too big for North Beach. It’s pushing 10ft, which is expert-only territory. The 5th is similar, with 10ft swell and cross-off winds, but again, it’s too big. The 8th of September sees a 10ft swell from the ENE with a 9-second period, combined energy 2395, and barely any wind. Again, too big for this spot.
The only real hope in the second week is the 7th of September morning. Swell is 5ft from the E, period 9 seconds, energy 363, and the wind is light from the S at 6 mph, cross-off, making it clean. It’s not huge, but it’s surfable and clean. The afternoon gets messy again.
So, the standout is Wednesday 26th August morning. The second possibility is the 7th of September morning, but it’s a lot smaller and less certain.
Overall, North Beach is a fairly consistent spot, but this run is rough. The long-range swell is there, but it’s too big for the break. Keep an eye on the forecasts – it tends not to stay poor for too long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 16 | S 18 | SSW 16 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
164 | 103 | 337 | 300 | 463 | 777 | 1561 | 2105 | 818 | 663 | 576 | 639 | 1254 | 808 | 837 | 1664 | 1323 | 1181 | 821 | 426 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 2:22PM1.50m | 2:28AM1.55m | 2:50PM1.67m | 2:57AM1.68m | 3:17PM1.82m | 3:25AM1.80m | 3:43PM1.94m | 3:52AM1.89m | 4:09PM2.04m | 4:18AM1.95m | 4:36PM2.08m | 4:45AM1.97m | 5:04PM2.09m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:27PM0.69m | 8:37AM0.55m | 8:57PM0.54m | 9:04AM0.41m | 9:24PM0.40m | 9:31AM0.28m | 9:51PM0.30m | 9:57AM0.19m | 10:18PM0.22m | 10:23AM0.13m | 10:45PM0.19m | 10:51AM0.12m | 11:13PM0.20m | |||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 22 |
Feels °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 16 | S 18 | SSW 16 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 14 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
164 | 103 | 337 | 300 | 463 | 777 | 1561 | 2105 | 818 | 663 | 526 | 297 | 233 | 138 | 269 | 153 | 72 | 1181 | 821 | 426 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ENE 4 | S 8 | SSW 14 | SE 9 | ENE 9 | E 8 | E 12 | S 17 | S 17 | S 16 | — | S 16 | S 15 | — | — | S 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 |
6 | 7 | 50 | 158 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 281 | 204 | 84 | — | 20 | 113 | — | — | 2 | 24 | 12 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSW 17 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | E 9 | SE 7 | SE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
14 | 99 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | NE 4 | — | SSE 9 | S 4 | — | — | — | E 6 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | — | SSW 5 | S 7 |
2 | 16 | — | 82 | 8 | — | — | — | 120 | 366 | 576 | 639 | 1254 | 808 | 837 | 1664 | 1323 | — | 69 | 220 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 0 | 1 | 285 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 856 | 856 | 510 | 409 | 701 | 353 | 510 | 695 | 404 | 334 | 423 | 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 North Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for North Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at North Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our North Beach 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 (North Beach) 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 North Beach 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 North Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, consider staying in Durban which is 6 km (4 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.











