Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 18s period, S swell with 8,825 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 4.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what North Beach is doing for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a waiting game. The first few days are pretty grim with a messy cross-onshore wind, so we’re not getting any decent surf out of it. The wait is on until Saturday, September 5th.
That Saturday is our standout. After a rough week, the wind completely shuts off, and we get a glassy ocean. That's a rare treat. The swell is coming in at 7 ft from the southeast, with a combined energy of 974 (moderate wave energy), and it cleans right up. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is pretty much average for this time of year. That Saturday morning session is the one to circle – it’s the best it’s going to get.
Now, before that, Friday the 4th has a massive 10 ft to 12 ft swell rolling in, but the combined energy is through the roof (1269 and 2772), and with the wind howling, it’s just too big and messy for a paddle. That’s kite-surfing territory, not for us.
After that Saturday window, the winds turn ugly again. Sunday the 6th gets a bit of a bump, but it’s messy with cross-shore winds and short-period chop. For the rest of the run, through the second week, it’s a sad story of cross-onshore winds and lumpy, poor quality surf. There are a few moments around the 12th and 13th where the swell gets up to 7 ft – 8 ft, but the wind is always cross or cross-on, and the period is short (7-8 seconds). It’s not worth the paddle.
So, bottom line: if you’ve got a board, clear your Saturday morning, the 5th of September. That’s the only window with clean, glassy conditions and a decent waist-to-chest high swell. For the rest of the outlook, you’re better off waiting for a change in the pattern.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 33°C on Thu morning, min 18°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the SW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Fri afternoon, calm by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | ENE 9 | ENE 7 | SSW 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | E 10 | E 9 | S 7 | S 19 | S 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 157 | 140 | 169 | 163 | 259 | 411 | 111 | 495 | 363 | 1156 | 2703 | 1318 | 766 | 416 | 318 | 246 | 382 | 5222 | 5160 | 2763 | 1144 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 6:03PM1.95m | 6:14AM1.78m | 6:36PM1.81m | 6:50AM1.63m | 7:14PM1.63m | 7:38AM1.45m | 8:11PM1.44m | 9:12AM1.29m | 10:28PM1.30m | 12:19PM1.33m | 00:53AM1.40m | 1:37PM1.54m | 1:54AM1.59m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:48AM0.23m | 00:13AM0.35m | 12:20PM0.36m | 00:47AM0.49m | 12:57PM0.54m | 1:31AM0.65m | 1:46PM0.74m | 2:44AM0.82m | 3:39PM0.92m | 5:32AM0.86m | 6:39PM0.85m | 7:14AM0.69m | 7:49PM0.65m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | |
 | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — |
 | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 10 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 33 | 33 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | ENE 9 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | S 19 | S 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 157 | 140 | 169 | 163 | 119 | 411 | 111 | 75 | 274 | 65 | 48 | 1318 | 766 | 416 | 318 | 246 | 133 | 5222 | 5160 | 2763 | 1144 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | E 8 | SSW 13 | — | — | E 10 | SSE 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | SSE 8 | S 11 | S 14 | SSE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 11 | 4 | 38 | 125 | 259 | 52 | 102 | — | — | 48 | 21 | 53 | 96 | 217 | 249 | 114 | 37 | 541 | 46 | 44 | 31 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 14 | S 7 | ENE 9 | NE 7 | NE 8 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | S 18 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | S 14 | S 19 | E 9 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 4 | 4 | 103 | 75 | 28 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 112 | 69 | 48 | 16 | 29 | 81 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | — | — | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | ENE 7 | SSW 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | — | — | — | SSE 8 | S 7 | SSE 8 | — | ENE 4 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | 7 | — | — | 13 | 34 | — | — | 495 | 363 | 1156 | 2703 | 918 | — | — | — | 179 | 382 | 737 | — | 60 | 196 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 154 | 1 | 0 | 219 | 285 | 238 | 1424 | 2614 | 779 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 1241 | 894 | 887 | 894 | 555 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our North Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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