Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 3,674 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here.
Well, looking at the next couple of weeks for North Beach, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and honestly, the start is pretty grim. We’ve got a run of days where the conditions just aren’t going to give us anything rideable. For the first stretch, the swell is there but the wind is all over it, mostly cross-onshore, and it’s going to be choppy and lumpy. There’s a bit of a pulse of south swell coming through on the 23rd, with an 8ft swell on the Sunday morning, but it’s got a short 10-second period and cross-wind, so it’s not going to be clean. That one’s a miss.
The early part of the week is a write-off, to be honest. The wind is just making a mess of things, and the surf quality is poor. We’re looking at a few days where you’d be better off doing something else. The energy is weak to moderate during this time, with readings like 386 and 284 in the brackets, so there’s not much push in the water.
Things don’t really start to get interesting until the end of the month. On the 30th of August, there’s a shift with a cross-off breeze and a 5ft swell, but it’s coming from the ENE with a short 9-second period and the energy is dropping off (376). It looks like it might be a brief window but it’s not a standout.
The real talking point is the stretch from the 3rd of September onwards. The swell really fills in, but it also gets seriously big. On Thursday the 3rd, we’ve got a 10ft swell coming from the NE. The winds are favorable on that Thursday afternoon, with a light cross-on breeze, but that size is just too much for this break, and it’s only for experts. The energy readings are strong here, hitting 2039 and 1918, but it’s a beast of a day. Then on Friday the 4th, it gets even bigger. We’re looking at an 11ft south swell in the morning and a 10ft south swell in the afternoon. That Friday afternoon, there’s a bit of magic in the forecast with an easterly breeze, near glassy conditions, and a long 12-second period. The energy is massive at 2888 and 2715 in the brackets. But the size is key here – this is not a day for the faint-hearted. This is big, powerful, grinding swell, and it’s going to be a sight to see from the beach if nothing else.
The water temp is sitting around 70° on the first recommended day, which is about average for this time of year.
For the first week, it’s looking pretty bleak. There are maybe a few sessions on the 26th and 31st where it’s borderline, but the cross-onshore winds will likely ruin them. We’re looking at a gap of several days with no good recommendations. The forecast confidence for the first week is high – it’s just poor. The second week has more potential, but that big swell on the 3rd and 4th is a long-range call, so I’d say it’s promising but less certain.
And hey, if you’re into kitesurfing, you might actually get some fun out of this NE cross-on wind and lumpy 6-10ft surf later in the run. But for a paddle, it’s a no-go for most of it.
So, the standout, if you’re a serious charger, is that Friday the 4th of September. It’s massive, it’s clean, and it will be one for the memory bank. For everyone else, keep an eye on the smaller windows, but don’t hold your breath.
Catch you in the water.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue night, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
306 | 1955 | 1345 | 610 | 363 | 262 | 160 | 103 | 198 | 308 | 734 | 869 | 1508 | 3674 | 1531 | 991 | 630 | 427 | 613 | 521 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:48AM1.27m | 1:47PM1.32m | 1:52AM1.40m | 2:22PM1.50m | 2:28AM1.55m | 2:50PM1.67m | 2:57AM1.68m | 3:17PM1.82m | 3:25AM1.80m | 3:43PM1.94m | 3:52AM1.89m | 4:09PM2.04m | 4:18AM1.95m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:20PM1.00m | 7:26AM0.86m | 7:49PM0.85m | 8:07AM0.70m | 8:27PM0.69m | 8:37AM0.55m | 8:57PM0.54m | 9:04AM0.41m | 9:24PM0.40m | 9:31AM0.28m | 9:51PM0.30m | 9:57AM0.19m | 10:18PM0.22m | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 32 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 29 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSW 15 | S 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
80 | 18 | 6 | 610 | 363 | 262 | 160 | 103 | 73 | 308 | 734 | 869 | 1508 | 3674 | 1531 | 991 | 630 | 427 | 430 | 290 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 8 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | E 8 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 12 | — | — | S 16 | S 16 | — | S 15 |
— | 13 | — | 6 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 99 | 198 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 14 | — | — | 183 | 183 | — | 118 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 9 | SE 12 | E 9 | ENE 4 | SSE 11 | S 22 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 13 | — | — | — | S 16 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 38 | 6 | 6 | 7 | — | — | — | 249 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NE 4 | SSW 3 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
306 | 1955 | 1345 | — | — | — | 3 | 7 | 1 | 77 | — | — | — | — | 56 | 166 | 222 | 324 | 613 | 521 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 58 | 684 | 238 | 48 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 155 | 155 | 0 | 1 | 155 | 2 | 856 | 856 | 353 | 476 | 476 | 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.











