North Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.84° S 31.04° E

North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 02 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's North Beach sea temperature is
20.2°C
1.1° 

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 2 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 17s period, S swell with 2,775 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SSW 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 (Sep 02) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. 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 2.2m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Wed 2nd Sep)3ft (0.9m) 16s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 3rd Sep)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Most Powerful11AM (Mon 7th Sep)7ft (2.2m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into what's happening for North Beach.

Honestly, the 16-day window is a tough slog. We’ve got a lot of surf coming through, but the wind and conditions are just not playing ball for most of it. You’ll see some solid swell, but it’s almost always blowing onshore or cross-shore, making a mess of things. There’s no standout classic session, but there are a couple of windows where things line up.

The best bet of the whole period is a Thursday morning (the 5th of September) session. We’ve got a clean 7 ft swell easing from the SSE, combined with a moderate wave energy of 981. The wind is nearly non-existent from the ENE at just 3 mph, which is almost glassy. It will be light wind ripples, but it’ll be the cleanest the wave face gets. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so a good 4/3 is your friend here.

The build-up to that isn't great. We start with a small 3 ft SSW groundswell (16-second period) on Wednesday (2nd September), but with a light cross-shore it's just marginal and barely worth getting wet for.

Thursday (3rd September) is a write-off with powerful NE winds and a short-period chop. Friday sees a big jump in size – an 8 ft S swell hits the morning with 22 mph cross-offshore winds, making it clean but big and powerful for the average punter. By the afternoon, a 10 ft S swell (1712 energy) gets chewed up by a 22 mph cross-shore. That 10 ft swell is a beast and only for experts, but the wind kills it.

After the Thursday 5th morning window, things get messy again. Saturday and Sunday are blown out by onshore wind and lumpy conditions. Monday (7th) sees the biggest energy of the period – a long-period 7 ft S swell with 17 seconds and a massive 2945 energy score – but it’s pinned down by a 22 mph cross-onshore. That wave has serious power, but it’s going to be a washing machine. The long period will make it a bit wonky at a beach break like this, but the energy is undeniable for those who want to battle the wind.

The rest of the first week is just more of the same: solid swell sizes getting hammered by wind. We then hit a gap of almost no redeemable surf from the 8th through the 13th where the onshore wind is a constant factor.

You have to wait until the 14th of September for another look. Monday morning (14th) brings a 4 ft S groundswell at a very long 14 seconds, with a light onshore flow and moderate energy of 964. It’s still messy, but the potential for some of that long-period energy to push through is there. The 15th of September morning offers a 6 ft NE swell, but again, onshore winds are the story. The 16th and 17th are the same story with onshore or strong offshore winds.

Frankly, for the kitesurfers out there, the afternoon of Friday the 4th (10 ft S, 22 mph cross-shore) and Monday the 7th (7 ft S, 22 mph cross-onshore) look way more fun on a kite than a surfboard.

The long-range stuff late in the second week (mid-September) has that long-period energy on the 14th, but it’s all low-quality at the moment. Keep an eye on it, but don't plan a trip.

All in all, look to the morning of the 5th of September for the cleanest surf of the run, even if it's not the biggest.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 33°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the SW by Thu night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Sat night, strong winds from the NE by Mon afternoon).

Wed
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
!
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
1.7
NE
8
2
ENE
8
1.5
ENE
9
2.5
S
8
3
S
10
3
SSE
10
2.2
SSE
9
2
SE
9
1.3
E
10
1.2
E
9
1.1
E
9
0.7
S
22
2.2
S
17
1.8
S
16
1.3
S
14
1
S
13
2
ENE
8
2.4
NE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
337
416
371
487
385
850
1643
1815
802
594
325
234
194
453
2775
1566
649
324
452
598
Wind (km/h)
5
SSE
10
N
25
N
25
NE
35
SW
35
SSW
35
S
20
SE
5
ENE
15
E
5
NNE
15
ENE
20
NE
20
NNE
35
NNE
35
NE
25
NNE
25
NE
30
NE
20
NNE
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
6:36PM1.81m
6:50AM1.63m
7:14PM1.63m
7:38AM1.45m
8:11PM1.44m
9:12AM1.29m
10:28PM1.30m
12:19PM1.33m
00:53AM1.40m
1:37PM1.54m
1:54AM1.59m
2:21PM1.75m
2:35AM1.76m
Low Tide
00:47AM0.49m
12:57PM0.54m
1:31AM0.65m
1:46PM0.74m
2:44AM0.82m
3:39PM0.92m
5:32AM0.86m
6:39PM0.85m
7:14AM0.69m
7:49PM0.65m
8:04AM0.49m
8:32PM0.45m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
light rain
light rain
cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:07
6:07
6:05
6:03
6:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:40
5:40
5:42
5:42
5:43
5:43
5:44
 mm
2
4
1
1
2
2
1
Temp °C
21
19
33
33
24
21
19
18
17
18
18
18
18
18
18
19
18
21
21
20
Feels °C
21
21
27
28
22
18
13
13
16
15
17
17
16
16
14
13
14
18
17
17
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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