
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, S swell with 1,059 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 16s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the next couple of weeks for North Beach. Let’s be straight with you – it’s a mixed bag, and we’ve got a bit of a quiet start before things get interesting.
The first surf worth getting wet for doesn’t appear until Wednesday the 29th of July. We’ve got a few days of nothing much before that, so mark your calendar. The water is sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels nice.
Wednesday morning the 29th brings a bit of a pulse, with a 7ft swell from the SSE, but the period is short at 8 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore from the SW, which will keep things clean. The combined energy is moderate at 787, so there’s some push. It’s a decent start, but the short period means the waves won’t have that perfect shape. By Wednesday afternoon, the energy jumps to 1289, still 7ft but the surface stays clean. This is the first real standout, but it’s a bit of a raw one.
Now, Thursday morning the 30th of July is where it gets a little better. Still 5ft from the SSE, but the wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the SSW, and the period is still 8 seconds. The energy is 521, moderate. The surf is clean, and it’s a good intermediate option. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-shore wind, so mornings are the go.
The real standout, the one you want to circle, is Sunday morning the 2nd of August. We get a 7ft swell from the ESE, with a 10-second period. The wind is light from the NE, cross-onshore, so small ripples, not blown out. The combined energy is 968 – getting up there. This is the best-bet window for the whole forecast. The direction matches the optimum for this exposed break, and the size is solid for intermediates. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and has some grunt.
After that, the swell hangs around but the wind turns nasty from the NE. From Monday the 3rd through to the 9th of August, it’s a lot of cross-onshore chop, with the wind building. Tuesday the 4th has a 6ft swell from the ESE with a very long 13-second period, and the energy is strong at 1044, but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy. That groundswell would be magic at a point or reef, but at a beach break like North Beach, that long period can make it break too straight. Not ideal for here.
The final week gets a bit rowdy. The 9th of August pumps out 8ft from the ENE, but with a near gale wind from the NE hitting 31 mph, it’s going to be a total mess. The 10th of August has similar sized swell, 8ft again, but the wind swings around from the south, giving a cross-shore. The energy is massive – 1521 in the morning, 1560 in the afternoon – but it’s marginal. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.
So, overall, the best on offer is Sunday morning the 2nd of August. Get on it. The Thursday morning the 30th of July is a solid second option. The rest is either too windy, too short period, or just messy. Keep an eye on that Sunday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, strong winds from the SW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | SSW 13 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | S 12 | SSW 18 | S 7 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
300 | 229 | 224 | 240 | 66 | 76 | 174 | 146 | 1059 | 588 | 618 | 647 | 368 | 338 | 287 | 258 | 184 | 131 | 131 | 163 | 644 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 2:30PM1.47m | 2:37AM1.57m | 3:06PM1.60m | 3:13AM1.67m | 3:38PM1.73m | 3:44AM1.75m | 4:07PM1.83m | 4:14AM1.81m | 4:36PM1.91m | 4:43AM1.85m | 5:04PM1.95m | 5:11AM1.85m | 5:33PM1.96m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:16AM0.66m | 8:30PM0.69m | 8:53AM0.54m | 9:09PM0.58m | 9:25AM0.43m | 9:42PM0.47m | 9:54AM0.34m | 10:13PM0.39m | 10:23AM0.27m | 10:43PM0.34m | 10:50AM0.23m | 11:12PM0.31m | 11:18AM0.21m | 11:41PM0.32m | |||||||
6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSE 8 | E 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 |
300 | 159 | 88 | 88 | 66 | 76 | 174 | 146 | 766 | 83 | 488 | 524 | 368 | 338 | 287 | 258 | 184 | 131 | 96 | 163 | 644 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SSW 14 | ENE 6 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 8 | SW 12 |
236 | 229 | 62 | 24 | 63 | 14 | 41 | 44 | 68 | 116 | 108 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 90 | 85 | 108 | 106 | 131 | 78 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | ESE 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 15 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSE 9 | — |
6 | 5 | 75 | 44 | 42 | 31 | 41 | 40 | 87 | — | 75 | 82 | 70 | 104 | 138 | 82 | 70 | 33 | 14 | 8 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 2 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NE 7 | SSW 2 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 |
1 | 28 | 224 | 240 | 1 | 74 | 73 | 134 | 1059 | 588 | 618 | 647 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 695 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 155 | 405 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 238 | 238 | 0 | 78 | 1 | 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.










