
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with 1,824 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 12s 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking at North Beach.
Right off the bat, I gotta say, the next few days are looking pretty grim. The water's sitting at a mild 72°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year. But the swell is messy and the wind is all wrong for a clean session. You'll be battling a cross-onshore breeze with that 4ft SE swell coming in at a 12-second period, but the energy is moderate (653) and the report is calling it poor surf. That's a hard pass. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday aren't any better, with choppy, cross-shore wind and dropping swell. Thursday afternoon shows a minor improvement with a 2ft SSW swell and a 14-second period, giving it a bit more grunt (410), but it's still a marginal call.
Friday the 24th is where things get interesting, but for the wrong reasons. We've got a big 10ft S swell showing up, with a short 9-second period, and the wind is a strong cross-offshore breeze. The energy is ramping up to moderate-to-strong (1447), and the setup is clean, but the wave comment says it's too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, maybe even more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session. The swell stays too big for the weekend too, with 5ft to 5ft on Saturday and Sunday, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, so it's a messy, lumpy mess.
Then we hit a dry spell. From Monday the 27th all the way through Thursday the 31st, it's a stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The swell is small and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, making for choppy, lumpy, and just unpleasant surf. There's a moment on Tuesday the 28th afternoon where the wind goes glassy, but the swell is a tiny 3ft from the E with a 9-second period, so the energy is weak (249). It's a tease, but not worth paddling out for.
Now, here's where it gets a little more promising. On Saturday the 1st of August, the morning session looks like a proper standout. We get a 3ft S swell with a very long 18-second period, filling in with strong energy (877). The wind is glassy, making for a clean surface. The wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions" – that's the kind of talk I like to hear. The long period can make it a bit tricky at a beach break, but with that glassy wind, it's a solid bet for a fun paddle.
Sunday the 2nd of August morning is also a good call. The swell picks up to 7ft from the ESE, with a 9-second period, and again, glassy wind. The energy is moderate (704), and the report says "expect very good surf conditions." This one is a bit bigger, so it's a step up in power, but still manageable for intermediates.
After that, the swell gets too big again for the beginning of the week, with 10ft to 12ft on Monday and Tuesday the 4th and 5th, and the wind is cross-offshore, keeping it clean but only for the brave. The real highlight for the second week, though, is Thursday the 6th of August. The morning session has a 6ft E swell with a 10-second period, light cross-offshore wind, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate (898), and the word is "expect very good surf conditions." After the big stuff, this is the sweet spot for a quality session without the intimidation factor.
Overall, the best on offer is the Saturday 1st of August morning for the glassy, long-period swell, and the Thursday 6th of August morning for a more manageable, clean, and fun-sized wave.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Fri afternoon, light winds from the W by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NE by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 12 | SE 12 | NE 7 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 6 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 13 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
403 | 319 | 317 | 167 | 189 | 248 | 1328 | 1690 | 393 | 366 | 377 | 313 | 187 | 156 | 371 | 229 | 106 | 103 | 123 | 123 | 516 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | glassy | off |
High Tide | 8:51AM1.33m | 9:34PM1.41m | 10:13AM1.23m | 11:07PM1.35m | 12:17PM1.23m | 00:47AM1.38m | 1:42PM1.33m | 1:52AM1.47m | 2:30PM1.47m | 2:37AM1.57m | 3:06PM1.60m | 3:13AM1.67m | 3:38PM1.73m | 3:44AM1.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:58PM0.77m | 4:10AM0.86m | 4:18PM0.88m | 6:01AM0.86m | 6:17PM0.89m | 7:26AM0.78m | 7:39PM0.81m | 8:16AM0.66m | 8:30PM0.69m | 8:53AM0.54m | 9:09PM0.58m | 9:25AM0.43m | 9:42PM0.47m | ||||||||
6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 19 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
403 | 319 | 178 | 99 | 57 | 108 | 77 | 192 | 393 | 366 | 377 | 313 | 152 | 86 | 181 | 121 | 106 | 103 | 123 | 123 | 162 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SE 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 |
218 | 141 | 236 | 167 | 164 | 21 | 6 | 43 | 346 | 125 | 128 | 120 | 187 | 135 | 43 | 23 | 40 | 55 | 48 | 103 | 516 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 9 | S 22 | E 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | E 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 11 | S 9 |
6 | — | 68 | 71 | 189 | 1 | 36 | 2 | 40 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 12 | — | 49 | 44 | 9 | 26 | 56 | 23 | 85 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | SSW 3 | — | SSW 6 | S 9 | S 10 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | — | — | SW 6 | — | — |
26 | 82 | 317 | 9 | — | 248 | 1328 | 1690 | — | — | — | 7 | 31 | 156 | 371 | 229 | — | — | 10 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 334 | 0 | 107 | 1 | 353 | 405 | 405 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 212 | 684 | 0 | 5 | 103 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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.










