Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, SSE swell with 3,703 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. 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 4.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about North Beach.
The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some decent pulse of swell rolling through, but don’t expect a lot of perfect, groomed waves. The best window is actually a little further out, so you’ll have to be patient.
Right now, Sunday the 30th has some surf, but it’s marginal. Swell is around 4 ft from the ENE with a 10-second period, but the wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 16 mph, which is keeping things somewhat clean. Combined wave energy is moderate (501). The water temperature is 70°, which is about average for this time of year, no surprises there.
Monday and Tuesday are pretty flat or poor. You’ll see some small 4 ft E swell, but the wind is onshore or cross-shore, and the wave quality is just not there. A lot of “poor surf conditions” flags. There’s a gap of a few days with no real recommendation.
Now, Wednesday the 2nd of September shows a bit of promise in the afternoon. Swell drops to 3 ft, but it’s coming from the SSW with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s serious groundswell energy (597) and the wind goes glassy – light off the ESE at 3 mph. Surfline calls it “expect very good surf conditions.” Worth a look for a clean, long-period groundswell, but it’s small, so grab a log.
For the rest of the week, the swell builds fast. Thursday the 3rd has a 7 ft NE swell in the morning, but the wind is a messy cross-shore. Friday the 4th gets bigger, up to 8 ft from the S, strong energy (1802), but the wind is still cross/off. Not clean.
The standout window is over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of September. Saturday morning, the swell is 10 ft from the south (3017 energy), with light SSE winds. The forecast says “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” That’s expert territory. Saturday afternoon jumps to 15 ft, still too big. Sunday morning the 6th has 12 ft from the SSW (2007 energy) with a cross-off wind, again too big for most. This is a big, powerful south swell, and it’s definitely for the experienced crew only.
The next week (from the 7th) is a mess. Huge swell (16 ft+, 8603 energy), near gale-force winds, and rain. The surf is basically blown out or too dangerous. There’s a long gap here with no real surfable conditions.
Then, finally, Thursday the 10th of September looks like the best, most accessible surf of the whole forecast. The swell drops to 7 ft from the ESE, with a 12-second period, and the wind is light cross-off from the SSW at only 6 mph. Combined energy is still strong (1431) but it’s called “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s your one to circle. The wind is light, the swell is clean, and it’s a solid wave size. After that, the swell slowly fades and the wind turns onshore again, with small, poor waves through the 12th and 13th.
So, bottom line: this isn’t a week for beginners, unless you’re happy with tiny glassy waves on Wednesday the 2nd. The real highlight is Thursday the 10th of September – excellent conditions, clean, overhead swell for experienced surfers. Keep an eye on that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 18°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 33°C on Thu morning, min 18°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the SW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
251 | 207 | 266 | 168 | 101 | 93 | 126 | 168 | 263 | 246 | 368 | 619 | 500 | 1315 | 2225 | 2418 | 1202 | 742 | 394 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:13AM1.95m | 5:32PM2.04m | 5:42AM1.88m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:13PM0.20m | 11:19AM0.15m | 11:42PM0.26m | 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 | |||||||
— | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
5:38 | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 33 | 32 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 28 | 27 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 15 | ENE 8 | S 12 | ENE 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | E 10 | SSE 8 |
251 | 207 | 266 | 168 | 101 | 52 | 126 | 168 | 107 | 246 | 179 | 73 | 274 | 906 | 84 | 2106 | 982 | 90 | 394 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | S 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | E 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | — | ENE 9 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | S 14 | E 10 |
46 | 48 | 26 | 13 | 11 | 90 | 38 | 125 | 263 | 74 | 143 | 164 | — | 84 | 51 | 53 | 71 | 106 | 174 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | S 10 | S 7 | S 7 | — | — | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 8 | S 15 | NE 7 | SSW 12 |
28 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 110 | 7 | 46 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 5 | ESE 5 | E 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | — | SSW 3 | S 5 | — | NE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 7 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | — |
— | 21 | 19 | 11 | 27 | 93 | — | 2 | 28 | — | 368 | 619 | 500 | 1315 | 2225 | 2418 | 1202 | 742 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 107 | 130 | 0 | 219 | 405 | 209 | 78 | 1952 | 1 | 219 | 238 | 5 |
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.











