Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 17s period, S swell with 3,443 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period with SSW 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 (Aug 25) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s is also forecast. 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 2.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what North Beach has lined up for us over the next couple weeks.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag to start. There’s some decent southern hemi groundswell wanting to push in, with a solid 3 ft to 7 ft range building, and the period is long, up around 16 to 18 seconds on Tuesday and Wednesday. That’s proper groundswell. But the wind is going to be a problem. Early on, it’s a cross-shore breeze, and the wave comment tells the story – it's poor, with a bumpy surface. The combined swell energy on Tuesday morning is 409, moderate, and by Wednesday afternoon it jumps to 2476, strong, but those cross and cross-onshore winds are going to mess up the face. The swell is coming from the SSW and S, but the optimum direction for North Beach is SE. It’s not a great match, and the water temp is about average at 70°.
Tuesday the 25th: Morning is a no-go really. 3 ft from the SSW and that cross wind gives poor surf. The afternoon cleans up a little with a cross-off wind, and the swell drops to 2 ft. It’s tempting because it’s clean, but the score is marginal. I’d say it’s a skunk unless you’re desperate for a tiny, clean wave.
Wednesday the 26th: Swell builds to 4 ft in the morning, then 7 ft in the afternoon. The period is still a dreamy 18 seconds. The morning has a cross breeze, so the surface is lumpy. The afternoon has a light cross-onshore from the SSE with small ripples. It’s a real shame because the energy is there, but the wind just isn’t doing us any favours.
Thursday the 27th through the whole weekend is a write-off. The wind cranks from the NE, getting up to 31 mph on Thursday, near gale force. The swell is all over the place, short period junky stuff, and the whole setup is blown out. Forget it. The combined energy figures are high (1177, 1292, etc.) but it’s all wind mess. Not surfable.
Finally, a little light appears. On Sunday the 30th, we get a momentary clean-up. The wind swings to the SSW, 22 mph, but it’s cross-off and the wave comment says “clean.” The morning has a 6 ft ENE swell with a period of 9 seconds, combined energy of 456. Then Sunday afternoon gives us 7 ft from the S, but the period drops to a weak 7 seconds. It’s marginal, and honestly, the size is getting up there for intermediate surfers, but at least there’s something with a clean face.
Monday the 31st is a tease. Light wind, 4 ft east swell, but the wind is onshore. It’s small and ripply.
The first week of September is mostly poor. It’s all cross and cross-onshore wind from the NE, with lumpy chop. On Tuesday the 1st, the swell is 4 ft in the morning, but it’s choppy. The real standout, if you can call it that, is the very end of the outlook. On Saturday the 5th of September, the afternoon shows some promise. The swell is a solid 8 ft from the east, period 8 seconds. The wind is light from the SSE, only 6 mph, with just small wind ripples. It’s a light cross-onshore, but for this exposed beach break, that’s about as good as it gets. Combined energy is a strong 1679.
And then the final kicker – Wednesday the 9th of September. The afternoon slot is flagged as “wind and tide favorable” but with a massive 12 ft swell from the ENE. The period is 10 seconds, and the wind is cross-off from the SSW at 16 mph. The combined energy is a beastly 3778, very strong. This is heavy-duty, expert-only territory. The swell is too big for this break otherwise. If you’re an experienced charger and you can handle a clean but powerful 3.5m wave, this is the moment. For everyone else, it’s a spectator sport. That is definitely the standout, but it’s a long way off and a lot can change.
So, the honest truth? The first week is a struggle. There’s energy but the wind is against us. The real highlight, the one true standout to keep an eye on, is that early September window, specifically that Saturday afternoon and that huge Wednesday session on the 9th. For now, it’s a waiting game. The forecast looks interesting for kite surfing on the bigger, windier days through late August.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri morning, min 17°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 24°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Mon morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 18 | SSW 16 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
300 | 463 | 777 | 2463 | 2524 | 929 | 683 | 569 | 464 | 798 | 675 | 650 | 1302 | 1518 | 456 | 300 | 203 | 164 | 220 | 267 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:50PM1.67m | 2:57AM1.68m | 3:17PM1.82m | 3:25AM1.80m | 3:43PM1.94m | 3:52AM1.89m | 4:09PM2.04m | 4:18AM1.95m | 4:36PM2.08m | 4:45AM1.97m | 5:04PM2.09m | 5:13AM1.95m | 5:32PM2.04m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:57PM0.54m | 9:04AM0.41m | 9:24PM0.40m | 9:31AM0.28m | 9:51PM0.30m | 9:57AM0.19m | 10:18PM0.22m | 10:23AM0.13m | 10:45PM0.19m | 10:51AM0.12m | 11:13PM0.20m | 11:19AM0.15m | 11:42PM0.26m | |||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | SSW 16 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
300 | 463 | 777 | 2463 | 2524 | 929 | 683 | 569 | 377 | 236 | 235 | 251 | 187 | 851 | 456 | 300 | 203 | 164 | 220 | 267 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSE 9 | S 7 | E 13 | SE 12 | S 18 | S 17 | — | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 11 | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 7 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 |
158 | 8 | 45 | 13 | 6 | 219 | 206 | — | 46 | 131 | 126 | 31 | — | 71 | 40 | 23 | 111 | 68 | 102 | 44 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | — | S 10 | S 12 | SE 11 |
2 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | E 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | SSW 5 | S 6 | SSW 7 | — | — | NE 4 |
37 | 17 | — | — | 59 | 124 | 581 | 550 | 464 | 798 | 675 | 650 | 1302 | 1518 | 54 | 190 | 176 | — | — | 17 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 155 | 0 | 1 | 1231 | 0 | 695 | 695 | 353 | 404 | 555 | 222 | 423 | 510 | 99 | 155 | 740 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 5 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











