Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, ENE swell with 1,995 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at North Beach.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough run. There’s a big gap of nothing happening for the first several days. We’re talking about a stretch from Tuesday the 8th all the way through to the middle of the following week with no real surf on offer. The wind is a killer. That persistent NE wind, blowing cross-onshore, just messes up anything that tries to form. The swell is there, but it’s short-period windswell (7-8 seconds) and the water is a bit frothy. The combined energy hits 704 (moderate) at times, but it’s just sloppy. Water temp is sitting at 70°, which is about normal for this time of year – nothing to write home about.
We get a bit of a breather on Friday the 11th, with a cleaner look from a SSW cross-off breeze, but the swell drops to 4 ft – 4 ft with a longer 9-second period. It’s super marginal, and the combined energy is weak (258-341). That Saturday the 12th is flat and messy, and the next week is a write-off of strong cross-onshore winds and building swell. By Monday the 14th, the swell is 12 ft with a near gale onshore – that’s blown out, and honestly, with that wind and beach setup, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing session than a paddle-surfing one.
The real standout – and I mean the only one that gets my blood pumping – is Thursday the 17th. The models are pointing to a clean SSW cross-off wind, swinging a solid 10 ft southerly swell up the beach. The period is 8 seconds, so it’s not the cleanest groundswell, but the wind is clean and the combined energy is strong (1450). This is heavy, expert-only territory. That wave is going to be big, powerful, and a bit unruly – not for the faint of heart. But for a seasoned surfer, it’s a proper session. The crowd factor is “sometimes” so you might have some company, but with that size, it’ll thin out.
After that, the swell sticks around through the 18th and 19th, but the wind starts to shift back onshore, making it lumpy again. The week of the 21st has some long-period swell (up to 21 seconds!), but it’s coming from SSW and hitting a cross-onshore wind – that’s a recipe for a straight, unmakeable wave at a beach break. No good.
So, mark your calendar for Thursday the 17th. That’s your best shot. The rest of the run is a long, slow wait.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, strong winds from the NE by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | E 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 297 | 305 | 495 | 846 | 428 | 629 | 350 | 230 | 207 | 164 | 127 | 96 | 253 | 212 | 273 | 1044 | 809 | 1871 | 1695 |
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-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:35AM1.76m | 2:57PM1.93m | 3:10AM1.90m | 3:29PM2.05m | 3:42AM1.98m | 4:00PM2.12m | 4:13AM2.02m | 4:29PM2.13m | 4:41AM2.00m | 4:56PM2.09m | 5:08AM1.93m | 5:23PM2.00m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:32PM0.45m | 8:43AM0.32m | 9:07PM0.29m | 9:16AM0.19m | 9:39PM0.19m | 9:48AM0.11m | 10:10PM0.14m | 10:17AM0.09m | 10:38PM0.14m | 10:45AM0.13m | 11:06PM0.19m | 11:12AM0.20m | 11:32PM0.29m | ||||||
 |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | 5:44 | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 7 | E 8 | SSW 16 | ENE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 161 | 121 | 88 | 541 | 42 | 471 | 350 | 230 | 207 | 164 | 127 | 96 | 157 | 212 | 208 | 578 | 70 | 36 | 1152 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | S 15 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | S 5 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSW 15 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 57 | 13 | 13 | 62 | 4 | 27 | 11 | 97 | 47 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 63 | 50 | 33 | 131 | 6 | 2 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 16 | SW 17 | E 12 | S 9 | S 14 | SSW 20 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 18 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 5 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 162 | 18 | 17 | 2 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | SSW 5 | S 5 | — | — | E 4 | ENE 6 | — | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 297 | 305 | 495 | 846 | 428 | 629 | — | 61 | 43 | — | — | 15 | 253 | — | 273 | 1044 | 809 | 1871 | 1695 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 476 | 433 | 695 | 2 | 302 | 238 | 1 | 155 | 103 | 0 | 779 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 714 | 685 | 238 |
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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