
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 13s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period, SSE swell with 847 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 1.7m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, gang, Rusty here. Let’s break down what North Beach is serving up for the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got some decent swell on the horizon, but the wind is going to be the real deciding factor. The first few days are looking prime, with some real clean, glassy conditions. The swell is ticking along nicely, with a moderate wave energy (532) on Thursday the 16th, and that’s the standout peak for the whole run. The water’s at 71°, which is right about average for this time of year.
Thursday morning, July 16, is the one to circle. North Beach is looking at a clean 5ft easterly swell with a 10-second period, and it’s dead glassy. Zero wind. That’s going to be smooth, peeling lines. The setup is a beach/pier, so that long period groundswell might make it a bit straight at times, but with those conditions, it’ll still be a beautiful session. That’s your best call.
Friday morning, the 17th, is still solid. The swell drops a touch to 4ft, but it’s another glassy morning with that easterly energy. Good for a fun paddle.
Saturday morning, the 18th, same story – 3ft, glassy, clean. Easy, playful waves.
Sunday the 19th gets a bit messy. Swell picks up to 4ft from the SSE with a longer 13-second period, and the energy jumps to 851. But the wind goes cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy. It’s a marginal call.
Now, Monday the 20th morning is a serious contender. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSE, 12-second period, and a very strong energy of 866. And it’s glassy again. That’s a solid winter swell with clean conditions. If you can get out there, that’s your second-best window.
After that, it’s a long, ugly stretch. From Monday afternoon all the way through to the end of the month, the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf quality goes straight in the toilet. There are a few mornings with some glassy conditions, like Thursday the 23rd with a tiny 2ft SSW swell, but it’s too small to care about. The week of the 24th to the 31st has some decent energy in the water, with swells up to 4ft and long periods of 16-17 seconds, but the wind is just never right. It’s a lot of chop and junk. The water temp isn’t mentioned after the first day, but the pattern is clear: the setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than for paddle surfers through that stretch.
The gap of poor quality runs from the 20th afternoon right through to the 31st. There’s nothing clean enough to recommend. The 28th and 29th see some 5ft and 4ft NE swell, but it’s short period (6-7 seconds) and cross-shore wind. Not worth it.
So, to wrap it up: your best bets are Thursday morning the 16th for the glassy 5ft easterly, and Monday morning the 20th for the punchy 6ft SSE groundswell. After that, you’re waiting for a change in the weather.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | S 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
514 | 386 | 327 | 279 | 234 | 192 | 192 | 170 | 477 | 563 | 596 | 811 | 802 | 718 | 646 | 520 | 520 | 355 | 193 | 187 | 125 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | glassy | cross | off | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 5:23PM2.00m | 5:34AM1.89m | 6:01PM1.96m | 6:11AM1.82m | 6:38PM1.88m | 6:48AM1.71m | 7:14PM1.78m | 7:24AM1.59m | 7:52PM1.65m | 8:03AM1.46m | 8:36PM1.52m | 8:51AM1.33m | 9:34PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:06AM0.15m | 11:31PM0.27m | 11:44AM0.18m | 00:10AM0.32m | 12:21PM0.26m | 00:48AM0.41m | 12:56PM0.37m | 1:26AM0.52m | 1:31PM0.50m | 2:06AM0.65m | 2:09PM0.64m | 2:56AM0.77m | 2:58PM0.77m | 4:10AM0.86m | |||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
— | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 |
514 | 386 | 327 | 279 | 234 | 192 | 192 | 156 | 477 | 563 | 596 | 811 | 802 | 718 | 646 | 520 | 520 | 355 | 193 | 187 | 125 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 9 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 9 | S 13 | SSW 10 | S 13 | E 10 | S 11 | S 11 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 13 |
4 | 76 | 15 | 52 | 15 | 87 | 85 | 170 | 118 | 198 | 269 | 69 | 47 | 59 | 61 | 64 | 14 | 99 | 71 | 73 | 96 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | S 10 | SSW 12 | — | S 15 | S 9 | SSE 14 | E 10 | E 10 | S 11 | S 10 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | S 6 | ENE 8 |
14 | 5 | 19 | 2 | 14 | — | 69 | 39 | 75 | 90 | 94 | 21 | 17 | 44 | 64 | 28 | 25 | 142 | 160 | 25 | 40 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 133 | 136 | 52 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 353 | 285 | 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.










