Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with 1,727 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s 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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at North Beach.
The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle session. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, or blown-out conditions, so don’t get your hopes up for any quick fixes. The best bet by a long shot is a window that shows up on the morning of Friday, September 4th, but it’s a tricky one.
The pattern starts with a pulse on Saturday, August 29th. The morning brings a 7ft swell from the ENE, but it’s a short-period 8 seconds and a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore wind from the NE makes it lumpy and messy. The combined swell energy is moderate at 876. By the afternoon, it’s even worse with 10ft and a strong 25 mph wind. Water temp is 71°, which is about average for the time of year. Sunday, the 30th, cleans up a bit with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell drops to 5ft. It’s still marginal. Monday and Tuesday are poor with light onshore winds and weak energy. Wednesday, September 2nd, has a clean look with a 6ft SSW swell and a 19 mph cross-offshore wind, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s not packing much punch. The energy is only 393.
Then, on Thursday, September 3rd, it goes flat. The morning shows just 2ft of swell and a combined energy of 74. That’s a dead zone.
The standout: Friday, September 4th, the morning is the only real highlight. We’re looking at a 10ft swell from the SSE with a 9-second period. That’s a solid size, but it’s teetering on the edge of *too big* for this spot. The wind is a clean 19 mph cross-offshore from the SSW, so the wave faces will be clean. The combined energy is a massive 3063, which is very strong. However, the data says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. That puts it firmly in the expert-only zone. If you’re not comfortable in heavy, dumping surf, sit this one out. The afternoon turns ugly with a cross-onshore wind.
After that, the second week falls apart. From Saturday, September 5th, through to Saturday, September 12th, it’s a mess of strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, blown-out surf. The periods get long, hitting 15-16 seconds from the S, but that’s a long-period groundswell that’s going to detonate straight on this beach break, making it unruly. The wind is wrong for North Beach, and the combined energy is moderate to strong, but it’s wasted. The final days on the 13th of September are just more of the same: big onshore winds and messy conditions.
So, to sum it up: there’s a big, expert-only window on the morning of Friday, September 4th. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off for a clean, fun paddle. If the wind ever flips, this place could be fun, but for now, the setup looks more interesting for kiting than surfing.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the SSW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | E 9 | ENE 7 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
608 | 1014 | 767 | 352 | 328 | 207 | 203 | 226 | 235 | 257 | 73 | 134 | 261 | 141 | 101 | 41 | 65 | 1633 | 1562 | 715 | 330 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:36PM2.08m | 4:45AM1.97m | 5:04PM2.09m | 5:13AM1.95m | 5:32PM2.04m | 5:42AM1.88m | 6:03PM1.95m | 6:14AM1.78m | 6:36PM1.81m | 6:50AM1.63m | 7:14PM1.63m | 7:38AM1.45m | 8:11PM1.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:23AM0.13m | 10:45PM0.19m | 10:51AM0.12m | 11:13PM0.20m | 11:19AM0.15m | 11:42PM0.26m | 11:48AM0.23m | 00:13AM0.35m | 12:20PM0.36m | 00:47AM0.49m | 12:57PM0.54m | 1:31AM0.65m | 1:46PM0.74m | 2:44AM0.82m | |||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Temp °C | 21 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 7 | ENE 8 | E 9 | S 6 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 |
256 | 144 | 767 | 352 | 328 | 207 | 203 | 226 | 235 | 194 | 73 | 134 | 92 | 54 | 64 | 15 | 65 | 62 | 1249 | 715 | 306 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 12 | SE 5 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | S 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 16 |
12 | — | 71 | 41 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 40 | 138 | 52 | 41 | 38 | 29 | 203 | 237 | 330 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 10 | SE 15 | SSE 14 | S 13 | S 6 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | S 10 | S 14 | S 7 | — | NE 7 | SSW 13 | SSE 6 | — | SSW 19 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
— | — | 4 | 8 | 18 | 3 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | 9 | 101 | 18 | — | 72 | 49 | 32 | 73 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | — | SE 5 | — | ENE 9 | E 6 | — | SSW 7 | S 6 | — | — | S 6 | S 9 | SSE 9 | — | — |
608 | 1014 | — | 277 | 194 | 76 | — | 20 | — | 257 | 66 | — | 261 | 141 | — | — | 219 | 1633 | 1562 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 404 | 435 | 1 | 353 | 330 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 238 | 1 | 5 | 39 | 54 | 330 | 54 | 1241 | 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.











