
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period, SSE swell with 1,299 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period with SSE 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 (Jul 19) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. 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 2.1m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Imperial Units
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s lined up for us over the next couple of weeks.
Alright, the outlook for North Beach is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some swell on the horizon, but the wind is going to be a constant battle. The first week is mostly a write-off with onshore winds smashing things up. The real standout is a late-breaking window, but it’s a long way off and comes with a massive caveat.
Let’s start with the opening days. Monday the 20th kicks off with a 7ft SSE swell, period of 12 seconds, giving us a strong wave energy reading of 1377. The wind is a cross-off from the SSW, so the morning is clean. The afternoon drops to 6ft, but the wind shifts to a cross-onshore SE breeze, putting a bit of a ripple on it. The score is low, it’s a tricky one.
Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are a total loss. The wind is howling out of the NE, cross-onshore, and the waves are small and messy. Not worth paddling for.
Thursday the 23rd morning has a clean look with a cross-off SSW wind, but the swell is tiny at 3ft. The afternoon sees a jump to 6ft, but it’s a short-period 6 second S windswell, which is just bumpy and weak. The energy is a low 525.
Friday the 24th sees a 7ft SSE swell with a 10-second period, a moderate energy of 948. The wind is a cross-shore, creating a cross-chop. Not great.
Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are back to onshore slop from the NE. Small, choppy, and messy. We’re looking at a gap of several days with no real recommendations through the end of July.
Now, here’s the interesting bit. Tuesday the 28th of July. The afternoon session shows a huge 12ft S swell, period of 9 seconds, with a very strong energy reading of 1885. The wind is a cross-shore from the SSE. The catch? The file says this is predicted to be too big for this break. This is a serious red flag. For a beach and pier setup, this is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. If you’re not a seasoned pro, this is a day to watch from the sand. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.
After that, it’s another rough patch. The winds stay onshore from the NE, and the waves are small or choppy. We see a few small windows, like the 2nd of August afternoon with a 7ft ENE swell and a clean cross-off wind from the SSW, but the period is only 7 seconds, so it’s a weak, lumpy windswell. The 3rd of August has a 6ft ENE swell with a gentle cross-shore wind, but again, the energy is moderate at best.
The bottom line: that Tuesday the 28th afternoon is the only true standout for size, but only for the brave. Unless you’re an expert, I’d write this whole two-week window off and wait for a cleaner forecast. The waves are just too small or too messy for the rest of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | NE 7 | SE 12 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
948 | 1299 | 846 | 683 | 546 | 494 | 396 | 361 | 319 | 308 | 164 | 267 | 619 | 867 | 1037 | 490 | 206 | 194 | 185 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:24AM1.59m | 7:52PM1.65m | 8:03AM1.46m | 8:36PM1.52m | 8:51AM1.33m | 9:34PM1.41m | 10:13AM1.23m | 11:07PM1.35m | 12:17PM1.23m | 00:47AM1.38m | 1:42PM1.33m | 1:52AM1.47m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:26AM0.52m | 1:31PM0.50m | 2:06AM0.65m | 2:09PM0.64m | 2:56AM0.77m | 2:58PM0.77m | 4:10AM0.86m | 4:18PM0.88m | 6:01AM0.86m | 6:17PM0.89m | 7:26AM0.78m | 7:39PM0.81m | |||||||
— | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | |
5:15 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 21 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 |
948 | 1299 | 846 | 683 | 546 | 494 | 396 | 361 | 319 | 162 | 104 | 110 | 106 | 77 | 1037 | 490 | 206 | 194 | 185 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | E 10 | S 9 | S 9 | E 9 | SSW 16 | ENE 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | E 10 | SE 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 14 | S 17 | ENE 4 |
102 | 47 | 159 | 73 | 15 | 91 | 24 | 222 | 141 | 236 | 164 | 52 | 15 | 2 | 58 | 221 | 116 | 154 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 12 | E 9 | SSW 16 | E 9 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 14 | E 9 | NE 7 | SSW 20 | SE 11 | S 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 |
69 | 31 | 29 | 15 | 28 | 15 | 137 | 6 | — | 67 | 27 | 96 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 30 | 178 | 79 | 172 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 6 | — | NNE 5 | NNE 3 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | SSW 4 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | — | — | NNE 3 | ENE 4 | NE 4 |
— | 113 | — | 3 | 3 | 7 | 68 | 28 | 111 | 308 | 13 | 267 | 619 | 867 | — | — | 4 | 8 | 28 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 139 | 39 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 476 | 0 | 155 | 155 | 1 | 285 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
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.










