North Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.84° S 31.04° E

North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 28 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's North Beach sea temperature is
22.5° C
1.0° 

North Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


North Beach surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with 1,487 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 2.5m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 29th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 29th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 2AM (Wed 29th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m staring down the forecast for North Beach.

The next 16 days look like a bit of a mixed bag, with some real tempting windows, but also a lot of noise to wade through. The first good surf on offer is kicking off right away, but be warned, the early part of the week is a battle with the wind and swell quality.

Starting with Tuesday the 28th, we’ve got a solid 6ft S swell rolling in at 7 seconds. That’s a short period, weak energy swell (538), and it’s coming with a strong 22 mph cross-off shore wind. The combined energy is moderate, but that short period means the waves will be a bit lumpy and weak. The water temp is sitting at 73°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s a touch warmer than average.

The real standout of the entire forecast is Wednesday morning, the 29th. That’s the one to circle. We’ve got an 8ft SSE swell with a 9-second period, which is a decent, powerful groundswell. The combined energy is a massive 2166, so there’s plenty of punch. The wind is a light 9 mph cross-off, which will keep the face clean. That’s the best wave of the whole run, but it’s going to be a solid 8ft, so this is for the experienced crew. Beginners will want to sit this one out. The crowd situation at North Beach is “sometimes,” so you might have company, but that’s not a surprise for a spot that’s fairly consistent.

The rest of the week is a bit of a grind. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday see the swell drop a little, but the wind cranks up to 22 mph, making it a messy, cross-off chop. Friday morning has another 8ft spike, but the wind is still strong. The real golden moment arrives on Saturday morning, August 1st. The wind goes glassy, dead calm at 3 mph from the SSE. That’s a massive positive. The swell is 6ft from the ESE at 10 seconds, with moderate energy (835). It’s going to be clean, glassy, and beautiful. That’s a very close second standout.

After that, from Sunday the 2nd all the way through the 7th, it’s a slow, poor-quality run. The swell drops below 3ft, and the wind goes onshore or cross-on, creating choppy, poor conditions. The surf is basically dead from the 5th to the 7th, with tiny waves and poor wind. That’s a pretty blank stretch of about 4-5 days in the middle of the forecast.

Then, we get a little pulse on the 8th, but it’s weak and short period. The next real event is on the 10th of August, with a 7ft NE swell, but it’s coming with a cross-on wind. The 12th of August is a massive red flag: an 12ft to 13ft SSW swell predicted, with a very long period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 5130. That’s way too big for North Beach, and the forecast is very clear that it’s too big for this break. That’s a day for experts only, and even then, it might be a washing machine. The swell direction (SSW) is also not the optimum for this spot (SE), so it’ll be a bit raw.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Wednesday morning the 29th for the biggest, most powerful swell with good wind. The second best is Saturday morning August 1st for the glassy, clean conditions. The rest of the time is either too windy, too small, or too big. Stay patient.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 59mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
!
3
2
2
1
2
3
3
1
3
3
1
3
2
1
3
1
0
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
S
7
3
S
9
2.5
SSE
9
2.1
SSE
9
1.7
SSE
8
2.1
S
9
2.3
SSE
9
2.4
SSE
9
2.5
SSE
9
2.1
SE
9
1.7
ESE
9
1.8
ESE
10
2.1
ESE
9
2
ESE
10
2
ESE
10
2.1
ESE
10
2.1
ESE
10
1.9
ESE
10
1.8
ESE
10
1.6
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
347
1487
1083
684
388
683
790
900
1083
711
445
587
688
701
761
952
889
671
640
481
Wind (km/h)
35
SSW
20
SSW
15
SW
25
SSW
15
WSW
35
SSW
30
SSW
25
WSW
25
SSW
20
S
10
W
5
SSE
10
E
5
NNW
10
NE
10
ENE
10
NW
15
NE
20
NE
10
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
glassy
on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
3:38PM1.73m
3:44AM1.75m
4:07PM1.83m
4:14AM1.81m
4:36PM1.91m
4:43AM1.85m
5:04PM1.95m
5:11AM1.85m
5:33PM1.96m
5:40AM1.84m
6:02PM1.94m
6:10AM1.79m
6:34PM1.88m
Low Tide
9:42PM0.47m
9:54AM0.34m
10:13PM0.39m
10:23AM0.27m
10:43PM0.34m
10:50AM0.23m
11:12PM0.31m
11:18AM0.21m
11:41PM0.32m
11:47AM0.23m
00:11AM0.36m
12:17PM0.28m
00:44AM0.43m
light rain
heavy rain
mod rain
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:39
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:20
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:23
 mm
4
21
7
5
16
1
2
1
2
1
Temp °C
17
16
16
15
15
17
17
16
17
18
18
18
18
18
18
19
18
18
20
18
Feels °C
11
11
14
12
12
10
11
10
13
13
16
17
17
17
16
16
17
16
17
17
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for North Beach:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our North Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest