Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 11s period, SE swell with 1,441 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period with SSE 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 2.4m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk North Beach in imperial.
The whole picture is about a solid run of swell, but the wind is the main character for the first few days. The standout is Sunday morning, August 2nd. That’s the one.
North Beach is a beach/pier break, exposed to the swell, and it breaks fairly consistently. Water temp is about 73°F, which is a little over a degree warmer than average for this time of year – feels nice.
Wednesday, July 29th, morning: we’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the SSE, 9-second period. That’s a big wave for the experienced crew. Wind is cross-off at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but the energy is huge – 1121. The afternoon gets windier at 16 mph and the quality drops.
Thursday, July 30th, is a washout. Wind is 22 mph all day, waves are 7ft to 8ft, but it’s marginal.
Friday, July 31st, morning: a massive 10ft SSE swell. The energy is 2484 – that’s strong. Wind is cross-off at 19 mph, so it’s clean, but this is for experts only. The afternoon drops to 7ft.
Saturday, August 1st, the swell fades to 5ft in the morning with a light cross-shore wind. The afternoon is 6ft, but it’s not great.
Sunday, August 2nd, morning – this is the one. Glassy. No wind. A clean 8ft swell from the SE, but the period is 11 seconds, giving it real groundswell power. The energy is 1432. This is a big, clean, powerful swell. For experienced surfers, this is a dream. The afternoon has 8ft surf but a light onshore wind.
Monday, August 3rd, is a step down. The swell is 6ft, wind is light cross-on, and the quality goes poor.
From August 4th through August 9th, there’s a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The wind is a cross-on breeze, and the swell is small and weak. On August 9th, a strong 25 mph cross-off wind blows through, but the swell is only 5ft to 5ft – more of a kite-surfing setup.
Tuesday, August 11th, morning brings a 7ft swell from the E with a 9-second period, and the wind is cross-off at 16 mph. The afternoon is a massive 10ft swell from the ENE, but with a short 8-second period and a cross-shore wind, it’s a messy, powerful beast for experts.
Wednesday, August 12th, morning – glassy. No wind. A 6ft swell from the E, 9-second period. The energy is moderate at 599. Perfect conditions for intermediate surfers.
Thursday, August 13th, morning – another standout. Glassy. A 8ft swell from the SSW, 10-second period, and the energy is a strong 1858. This is a big, clean, powerful swell for experienced surfers. The afternoon falls apart.
So, the best bets are the glassy mornings of Sunday, August 2nd, and Thursday, August 13th. The 2nd is the bigger session, but the 13th is also a beauty. Don’t bother with the middle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Wed afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 893 | 686 | 453 | 660 | 809 | 1248 | 1382 | 784 | 654 | 281 | 540 | 881 | 1416 | 1211 | 754 | 555 | 506 | 375 | 226 | 125 | 440 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 6:42AM1.71m | 7:10PM1.78m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:50PM0.37m | 1:21AM0.53m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — |
mm | 3 | 2 | 10 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 893 | 686 | 453 | 79 | 64 | 793 | 975 | 784 | 654 | 281 | 540 | 881 | 1416 | 1211 | 754 | 555 | 506 | 375 | 226 | 125 | 168 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSE 9 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 108 | 179 | 108 | 174 | 154 | 113 | 73 | 52 | 16 | 257 | 8 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 43 | 94 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | S 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SW 12 | — | S 13 | S 18 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | S 11 | SSW 12 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 120 | 116 | 135 | — | — | — | 54 | 33 | 24 | 5 | — | 12 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 15 | 58 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 4 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 40 | 660 | 809 | 1248 | 1382 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 11 | 38 | 26 | 87 | 440 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 330 | 405 | 48 | 238 | 907 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 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.
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