
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with 4,822 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with E 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 10s. 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 3.0m 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 0.4m 4s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for North Beach. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, so let’s break it down.
The overall pattern looks pretty average for a while, with plenty of onshore and cross-onshore winds making a mess of things. The first real standout doesn’t actually show up until Monday, the 7th of September. That’s a solid few days of waiting for something decent.
Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th are a write-off. The swells are small and weak, with a light onshore breeze that won’t do anything for the lines. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing to write home about there.
Now, Monday morning, the 7th of September – this is the one that’s got my attention. That’s a big, long-period S groundswell packing some serious energy (4465). We’re looking at 10 ft of swell, but here’s the thing: that’s getting toward the big side for North Beach, and this is a beach/pier setup. The period is 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, which can be a bit tricky. It might break too straight across the beach, so it’s really for the experienced crew who know the sandbars. The wind is a cross-on from the NNE, which isn’t perfect, but it’s the best window we’ve got. After that, the wind picks up and the quality drops hard.
The rest of that week and the second week look pretty grim. The wind stays on it, mostly from the NE, keeping things choppy and messy. There’s a tiny glimmer on Wednesday the 16th of September – the morning has glassy conditions with a light 5 ft swell from the ENE. That’s a nice, clean window but the energy is low (331) and the break is exposed, so it’ll be small and weak. The afternoon gets blown out by a strong SSW cross-off, so that’s just a brief window.
Saturday the 19th of September has a moderate 8 ft ENE swell in the afternoon, but with a light cross-on, it’s still going to be a bit bumpy. Not terrible, but not a standout. The energy is moderate (1057).
Honestly, if you’re a paddler, the only real shot at something with a bit of power is that Monday the 7th. It’s a big, raw swell, and you’ll need to be on your game. The rest of the period is mostly for the windsurfing or kiting crew, with all that consistent cross-off wind later on. Keep an eye on it, but don’t get your hopes up for a clean, classic day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri morning, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Tue afternoon, light winds from the NE by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | S 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
426 | 249 | 198 | 157 | 1055 | 4344 | 2543 | 984 | 279 | 405 | 582 | 322 | 587 | 709 | 404 | 452 | 373 | 239 | 246 | 203 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:28PM1.30m | 12:19PM1.33m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:39PM0.92m | 5:32AM0.86m | 6:39PM0.85m | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | S 21 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | SE 11 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 |
426 | 249 | 198 | 157 | 1055 | 4344 | 2543 | 984 | 279 | 209 | 358 | 83 | 60 | 463 | 29 | 34 | 373 | 239 | 246 | 203 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | SE 8 | S 11 | S 14 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSE 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | S 15 | S 13 | SSE 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
184 | 230 | 93 | 143 | 361 | 121 | 70 | 31 | 90 | 96 | 121 | 13 | 13 | 39 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 94 | 75 | 40 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SE 8 | E 9 | — | — | S 20 | E 10 | — | — | S 16 | SW 17 | E 12 | — | — | SSW 20 | SSE 11 | SSE 13 | SSW 5 |
104 | 47 | 149 | 60 | 125 | — | — | 7 | 31 | — | — | 5 | 12 | 3 | — | — | 40 | 11 | 17 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | SW 4 | SSW 4 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 111 | 151 | 405 | 582 | 322 | 587 | 709 | 404 | 452 | — | 5 | 4 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 154 | 154 | 476 | 695 | 219 | 476 | 555 | 39 | 238 | 320 | 2 | 155 | 154 | 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.










