North Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.84° S 31.04° E

North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 27 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's North Beach sea temperature is
21.3°C
0.1° 

North Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


North Beach surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, NE swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NE swell with 2,080 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s 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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 2.4m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sun 30th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Best Surf 2AM (Sun 30th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful11PM (Sat 29th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the skinny on the surf for our local stretch. We're looking at a pretty average run for the next couple of weeks, with a lot of onshore slop to work through before we get a chance at anything decent. North Beach is a beach/pier setup, exposed to the swell, and it's fairly consistent, but conditions are the main story here.

The water's sitting at 70°F, which is bang on average for this time of year.

Right now, we're starting with a blank period. The first few days, from Thursday the 27th of August through to the end of the month, are all a write-off. We've got a strong NE wind blowing, creating lumpy, cross-onshore junk. Swell is there, but it's messy and not worth paddling out for. The combined energy is moderate, around 1347, but it's just not clean.

There's a bit of a reprieve on Sunday the 30th with a cleaner cross-off wind, but the swell is small and the overall surf quality is still described as poor. The same goes for Monday and Tuesday, with a mix of moderate cross-onshore and clean cross-off winds, but the wave heights are down around 3ft to 4ft, and combined energy drops to 206 on Tuesday morning, which is pretty weak.

We then hit a three-day gap in any real recommendations from Wednesday the 2nd of September, where the conditions are marginal at best. The wind is light and cross-shore, but the swell is small and weak.

Now, the first real glimmer of hope hits on Thursday the 3rd of September in the morning. The wind is glassy, from the SE at just 3 mph, and the combined energy is moderate at 668. You'll find 6ft of swell from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds. This is the first day where it's worth a look. The glassy conditions will make for clean, fun waves, but it's not a huge standout.

The real standout, and I mean the one to circle, is Friday the 4th of September. We've got a big S swell rolling in, 18ft in the morning and 20ft in the afternoon, with a period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is massive, 8593 in the morning and 10890 in the afternoon. The wind is cross-off and clean. But here's the thing: the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is an expert-only affair. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It's a massive, powerful groundswell, and at a beach break, it'll be a washing machine. This is the best swell of the forecast, but it's not for everyone.

The wave energy stays strong through the weekend, with 10ft to 13ft swells, but it's still too big for this break. The wind stays clean, so the conditions are good, but the size is a serious caveat.

After that, we're back to smaller, less interesting surf from Monday the 7th of September onwards, with cross-onshore winds and weak energy. The best of the rest is a small window on Thursday the 11th of September afternoon with a light S wind and 5ft swell, but it's marginal.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The best bet is the glassy morning of Thursday the 3rd of September for a clean, small wave. The real standout is the colossal swell on Friday the 4th of September, but it's for experts only and will be too big for the break. The second week is a bit of a dud, with small, weak swell and onshore winds.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Mainly strong winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 18°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sun morning, calm by Sun night).

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
!
0
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
2
0
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
S
14
1.5
S
13
1.4
S
13
1.8
ENE
8
2.5
ENE
8
2.1
ENE
8
2.1
ENE
8
3
ENE
8
3
NE
9
1.7
ENE
9
1.5
ENE
10
1.2
E
9
1.2
E
9
1.2
E
10
1.2
E
9
1
E
9
1.8
ENE
6
1.9
NE
7
1.2
ENE
8
1.2
ENE
8
1.2
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1036
769
649
372
740
593
593
1169
1611
487
383
246
246
273
241
152
207
352
169
192
185
Wind (km/h)
35
NE
40
NE
25
NNE
30
NE
35
NE
25
NNE
30
NE
45
NE
20
N
35
SSW
25
S
5
WSW
20
ENE
35
SSW
10
SW
25
ENE
20
NE
10
N
25
S
10
S
15
N
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
High Tide
3:43PM1.94m
3:52AM1.89m
4:09PM2.04m
4:18AM1.95m
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
Low Tide
9:31AM0.28m
9:51PM0.30m
9:57AM0.19m
10:18PM0.22m
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
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:16
6:15
6:13
6:11
6:11
6:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:38
5:39
5:39
5:40
 mm
2
2
Temp °C
20
20
18
21
22
19
22
25
22
21
21
20
22
20
18
22
21
20
21
21
24
Feels °C
15
14
12
16
16
13
17
18
16
16
17
18
20
19
14
19
19
20
19
20
22
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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