Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, SE swell with 2,023 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 31 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period with SE 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 (Jul 31) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 16s. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 31st Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's break down what's happening at North Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Water’s sitting at a standard 72° for the season, nothing out of the ordinary. The first few days are a bit quiet, but come Sunday morning, August 2nd, we’ve got a proper pulse. The ocean is alive with a combined energy of 1472, and we’re looking at a 8ft swell out of the SE, with a 11-second interval. That’s a nice, long groundswell, and with a light cross-off wind from the SSW, it’ll be clean. This is the best session of the whole run. The waves will have real power and shape, but at 8ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The swell direction isn’t perfectly aligned with the optimum SE, but the quality of the swell and the clean conditions make it the clear winner.
Monday morning, August 3rd, is also worth a look. The wind goes dead calm – glassy – and the energy is 940 with a 7ft SE swell. It’s a bit smaller than Sunday, but that glassy surface is a gift. It’ll be a bit more forgiving for the intermediate crew.
After that, the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore for most of the following week, and the swell drops off. There’s a bump on Thursday afternoon, August 6th, with a 8ft S swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, and the wind is blowing 35 km/h, so it’s going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing.
In the second week, there’s some hope on Tuesday morning, August 11th, with an 8ft ENE swell and energy of 1312, but the wind is a strong 45 km/h cross-off. It’s clean, but it’s a fight. The next morning, Wednesday, August 12th, is similar with an 8ft ENE swell and moderate cross-off wind, with energy up to 1592. These are big, powerful swells, but the wind, while clean, is strong. Only for the real die-hards.
So, the one to aim for is Sunday morning, August 2nd. That’s your classic session. Everything else is a compromise. Keep your eyes on the forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Fri morning, light winds from the W by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ENE 8 | S 7 | S 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1060 | 861 | 422 | 780 | 924 | 2023 | 1454 | 1651 | 1340 | 883 | 698 | 490 | 419 | 365 | 193 | 118 | 141 | 160 | 87 | 590 | 614 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:04PM1.95m | 5:11AM1.85m | 5:33PM1.96m | 5:40AM1.84m | 6:02PM1.94m | 6:10AM1.79m | 6:34PM1.88m | 6:42AM1.71m | 7:10PM1.78m | 7:20AM1.60m | 7:53PM1.66m | 8:10AM1.47m | 8:52PM1.51m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:50AM0.23m | 11:12PM0.31m | 11:18AM0.21m | 11:41PM0.32m | 11:47AM0.23m | 00:11AM0.36m | 12:17PM0.28m | 00:44AM0.43m | 12:50PM0.37m | 1:21AM0.53m | 1:29PM0.50m | 2:09AM0.65m | 2:21PM0.65m | 3:21AM0.77m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ENE 8 | E 10 | S 9 |
| kJ | 73 | 52 | 422 | 780 | 924 | 2023 | 1454 | 1651 | 1340 | 883 | 698 | 490 | 419 | 365 | 193 | 118 | 141 | 160 | 71 | 90 | 614 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSE 9 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 14 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 5 | E 9 | ENE 8 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 64 | 33 | 375 | 5 | 44 | 30 | 12 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 53 | 34 | 26 | 3 | 87 | 23 | 304 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 13 | S 15 | — | — | S 18 | S 14 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | — | S 12 | SW 12 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | — | E 10 |
| kJ | — | — | 16 | 4 | — | — | 6 | 32 | 12 | 26 | 25 | 8 | — | 3 | 6 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 52 | — | 87 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | — | S 5 | — | — | — | S 7 | — |
| kJ | 1060 | 861 | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 14 | 27 | — | 18 | — | — | — | 590 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 862 | 907 | 0 | 1 | 130 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 740 | 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.
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