Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, SE swell with 761 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period with SE 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. 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 1.6m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.
We're looking at a pretty flat start for North Beach. The first week or so is a bit of a write-off for a proper surf. There's a bit of swell on Monday the 20th of July, with 6ft from the SE, but it's cross-on and the conditions are just marginal. The water temp is sitting at 73°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate (1068), but the wind just isn't playing ball. After that, it's a long stretch of poor or marginal conditions with busy winds and nothing really worth paddling out for. There's a brief window on Thursday the 23rd where it cleans up, but the swell drops to a tiny 3ft, so it's not going to get your heart racing.
Then, we hit a big red flag. On Saturday the 1st of August, we see a big 10ft swell from the S, with a massive combined energy of 1633. The wind is moderate and cross-shore, but the forecast says it's simply too big for this break. This continues into Sunday the 2nd with glassy conditions in the morning, but again, that 10ft swell is just way too much for North Beach. This is expert territory only, and even then, it's maxing out the break.
The real standout, and the only one I'd circle on the calendar, is Friday morning the 31st of July. We've got a clean 5ft swell from the E, periods of 9 seconds, and the wind is glassy. The combined energy is weak (379), but that glassy wind is a huge plus. It'll be clean, and for an intermediate spot, that's a real treat. The crowd factor is "sometimes" here, so you might have some company, but with the rest of the window looking so poor, it might be quiet.
Honestly, if you're looking for a proper push, this stretch isn't delivering. The window is mostly a dud, with a few days of flatness and then a couple of days where it's just too big for the spot. If you're a kite surfer, those big, choppy days on the 27th and 28th of July might look interesting, but for a paddle, it's a tough run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | NE 7 | SE 12 | SE 12 | S 6 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 16 | S 19 | S 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | ENE 6 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1010 | 683 | 546 | 546 | 435 | 361 | 319 | 296 | 167 | 164 | 161 | 542 | 336 | 475 | 188 | 412 | 172 | 213 | 144 | 489 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:52PM1.65m | 8:03AM1.46m | 8:36PM1.52m | 8:51AM1.33m | 9:34PM1.41m | 10:13AM1.23m | 11:07PM1.35m | 12:17PM1.23m | 00:47AM1.38m | 1:42PM1.33m | 1:52AM1.47m | 2:30PM1.47m | 2:37AM1.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:06AM0.65m | 2:09PM0.64m | 2:56AM0.77m | 2:58PM0.77m | 4:10AM0.86m | 4:18PM0.88m | 6:01AM0.86m | 6:17PM0.89m | 7:26AM0.78m | 7:39PM0.81m | 8:16AM0.66m | 8:30PM0.69m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — |
 | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | S 8 | S 8 | S 14 | S 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 1010 | 683 | 546 | 546 | 435 | 361 | 319 | 162 | 74 | 164 | 106 | 77 | 59 | 186 | 131 | 412 | 61 | 213 | 139 | 256 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | ENE 4 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | S 12 | NE 7 | SSW 20 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 19 | SSW 15 | SSE 12 | SE 10 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 29 | 78 | 56 | 91 | 13 | 222 | 141 | 236 | 167 | 143 | 108 | 2 | 128 | 475 | 174 | 176 | 172 | 119 | 110 | 65 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 16 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | E 10 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | S 19 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSW 9 | S 8 | S 13 |
| kJ | 29 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 138 | 6 | 6 | 68 | 71 | 43 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 41 | 188 | 15 | 15 | 25 | 12 | 84 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 7 | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 9 | S 8 | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 2 | 49 | 18 | 58 | 296 | 32 | 44 | 161 | 542 | 336 | — | — | 7 | 13 | 17 | 144 | 489 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 409 | 0 | 154 | 155 | 51 | 222 | 896 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 476 | 684 | 219 |
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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