Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 3,716 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period with NE 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 (Aug 30) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 2.5m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what North Beach has on offer over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. We’ve got some solid, powerful swell on the way, but the wind is going to be our enemy for most of it, and when the wind does ease, the swell can get too heavy for this spot. There’s a glimmer of hope if you time it right, but you’ll need to pick your moments carefully.
The whole window starts with a decent spike of energy, but it’s pretty much all cross-on wind for days. The water temp at North Beach is sitting at 70°F, which is bang on average for this time of year – no surprises there.
The best chance to get wet looks like the morning of Wednesday, August 26th. We’ve got a long-period groundswell rolling in from the south, around 4ft, with a very long 18-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1069, so there’s plenty of push, but that long period means it’ll be a bit more lined up and better for a point or reef than a beach break. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph, keeping it clean. For an intermediate surfer, this is the standout session – just know it might close out a bit on the shifty banks. Expect some crowds too, as it can get busy here.
That afternoon on the 26th, the swell jumps to 7ft, but the wind swings onshore and the tide looks dodgy. After that, from Thursday the 27th right through to the morning of Monday the 31st of August, it’s a write-off. The wind is strong and cross-on from the NE, ripping the waves apart, making it lumpy and messy. It’s a solid 4-5 day gap with no good surf to speak of.
We get a brief, quiet window on Monday morning, August 31st. The swell drops to 4ft from the east, with a slight cross breeze and very low wave energy (382). It’s rideable but pretty weak and marginal. Tuesday afternoon, September 1st, looks interesting for a quick session: the wind goes glassy, and there’s a short-period 5ft pulse from the ENE. The energy is still weak (408), and the period’s only 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit soft and choppy on the face, but glassy conditions are a major positive. Not a standout, but it’s surfable.
Then we hit another quiet patch. From the 2nd to the 4th of September, the swell drops away completely, with tiny waves and poor conditions. That’s a few more days of nothing.
The second week gets spicy, but dangerous. On Friday, September 4th, the swell builds fast. The morning is marginal with 6ft from the south, but the afternoon is a monster: 10ft from the SSE, with a combined energy of 1956 – that’s very strong. The wind is cross-on and it’s forecast to be too big for this break. Only for experts, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine.
Saturday and Sunday, September 5th and 6th, keep the 10ft swell going but with horrible cross-on wind. Monday, September 7th, the swell is still huge at 10ft, but the wind finally shifts cross-off from the south. The energy is off the charts (2662 and 2377). Again, wind and tide are favorable, but the size is simply too big for North Beach to handle well. It will be a foamy, closed-out mess for anyone but the most seasoned charger.
After that, the last few days of the forecast are small and messy, with poor conditions. There’s just no good window in that final week.
So, to sum it up: grab the Wednesday morning, August 26th, for a clean, powerful, long-period south swell if you’re an intermediate or above. Keep an eye on Tuesday afternoon, September 1st, for a glassy but weak little session. Everything else is either blown out, too small, or way too big for this break. For the size and wind we see here, a kite surfer would have a field day on most of those afternoons.
Stay tuned – forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a lean run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Wed night, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2715 | 2749 | 1161 | 784 | 649 | 419 | 836 | 670 | 687 | 1302 | 1817 | 726 | 440 | 422 | 256 | 268 | 202 | 238 | 315 | 181 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off |
High Tide | 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 | 5:13AM1.95m | 5:32PM2.04m | 5:42AM1.88m | 6:03PM1.95m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:19AM0.15m | 11:42PM0.26m | 11:48AM0.23m | 00:13AM0.35m | |||||||
— | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | |
mm | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 12 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | S 7 | S 8 | ENE 7 |
2715 | 2749 | 1161 | 784 | 649 | 377 | 292 | 184 | 256 | 187 | 999 | 726 | 435 | 258 | 256 | 268 | 202 | 17 | 10 | 181 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 12 | ESE 6 | S 17 | — | S 16 | SSE 16 | S 15 | — | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 14 | E 9 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | SSW 8 | S 9 | S 8 |
— | 3 | 26 | 278 | — | 46 | 86 | 161 | — | — | 71 | 41 | 18 | 251 | 70 | 86 | 27 | 35 | 2 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | — | S 15 | SSW 14 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 12 | 11 | 4 | — | 4 | 19 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | SSW 4 | S 7 | SSW 8 | — | — | — | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | — |
— | — | 69 | 336 | 362 | 419 | 836 | 670 | 687 | 1302 | 1817 | 19 | 440 | 422 | — | — | — | 238 | 315 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 5 | 695 | 714 | 353 | 404 | 555 | 423 | 433 | 555 | 222 | 107 | 665 | 1 | 5 | 685 | 2 | 5 | 334 | 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.











