
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 19s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, S swell with 4,484 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s 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 (Sep 07) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 21s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 21s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's happening for North Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week is a bit of a tough one. We've got some serious size and energy in the water, but the wind is just not playing ball. The first real chance to get wet starts on Monday, September 7th, but it's a messy affair. We're looking at a solid 8ft south swell, with a very long 17-second period, pumping a massive 4209 units of energy into the beach. But that northeast wind is blowing at 6 mph and it's cross-onshore, which is gonna put a chop on it. It's not the best, but there's raw power there if you're desperate.
The rest of that first week is a bit of a write-off, honestly. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, often building into a fresh breeze, while the swell direction shifts around. We get a bit of a drop in size mid-week, but the quality is just poor. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing to worry about on that front.
It's not until Friday, September 11th, that things start to look a little more inviting. The wind finally swings to a light cross-offshore, and the swell drops to a clean, manageable 3ft to 4ft from the east. The energy is weak (around 223-257), but for a relaxed session on a longboard, the conditions are clean. It's a nice little breather.
Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are back to being messy or blown out, with onshore winds again. The 13th actually sees the swell spike back up to 10ft with strong wind, making it a total mess.
Now, here's where it gets interesting, but it's a bit of a warning. Thursday, September 17th, a massive swell is forecast to hit. We're talking 13ft from the SSW on Thursday afternoon, with a very high energy reading of 2543. The wind is forecast to be a clean cross-offshore, which is usually perfect. But the file is telling us this is predicted to be too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's going to be a wild, dangerous beast. The same goes for Friday, September 18th, with an 12ft to 10ft SSE groundswell (12-second period). It's clean, but way too much for a regular paddle session. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The standout, if you can call it that, is a bit of a gamble. Look at Saturday, September 19th. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft to 8ft from the SE, still with a nice 12-second period, and the energy is still strong at over 1700. The wind is light and variable, going from onshore to cross-shore. It's a bit of a dice roll on the tide and the exact wind direction, but it's the only window in the whole 16 days that offers big, clean-ish waves that aren't life-threatening. The crowds at North Beach can be there sometimes, so expect company.
After that, the swell backs off again into the last few days of the outlook, with marginal conditions and less energy. The second week is a bit of a mixed bag of onshore winds and average-sized swells, nothing that really screams "go now."
So, bottom line: the first week is a right-off for quality. The second week has a dangerous, oversized swell for experts only, and a potentially good, but tricky, Saturday on the 19th. Don't expect much else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the NE by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 18°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Wed night, calm by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 11 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1045 | 4088 | 2314 | 984 | 251 | 352 | 363 | 336 | 602 | 970 | 569 | 374 | 283 | 199 | 173 | 160 | 127 | 127 | 233 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:53AM1.40m | 1:37PM1.54m | 1:54AM1.59m | 2:21PM1.75m | 2:35AM1.76m | 2:57PM1.93m | 3:10AM1.90m | 3:29PM2.05m | 3:42AM1.98m | 4:00PM2.12m | 4:13AM2.02m | 4:29PM2.13m | 4:41AM2.00m | ||||||
Low Tide | 7:14AM0.69m | 7:49PM0.65m | 8:04AM0.49m | 8:32PM0.45m | 8:43AM0.32m | 9:07PM0.29m | 9:16AM0.19m | 9:39PM0.19m | 9:48AM0.11m | 10:10PM0.14m | 10:17AM0.09m | 10:38PM0.14m | |||||||
— | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
5:43 | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 11 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 7 |
1045 | 4088 | 2314 | 984 | 251 | 266 | 164 | 91 | 90 | 621 | 445 | 374 | 283 | 199 | 173 | 160 | 127 | 127 | 54 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | SSE 11 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 12 |
361 | 121 | 70 | 31 | 125 | 167 | 37 | 13 | 13 | 62 | 42 | 26 | 11 | 55 | 45 | 41 | 83 | 89 | 28 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | — | — | S 20 | E 10 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 17 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 20 | SE 9 | SE 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 16 |
117 | — | — | 7 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 42 | 34 | 30 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 2 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 6 |
— | — | 24 | 71 | 136 | 352 | 363 | 336 | 602 | 970 | 569 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 36 | — | — | 4 | 233 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 5 | 907 | 107 | 476 | 695 | 219 | 476 | 684 | 5 | 684 | 1 | 0 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 353 |
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.










