
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with 2,053 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, lookin' over the next couple of weeks for North Beach. It's a beach and pier setup, exposed to the southeast. We've got a bit of a mixed bag, but there's a few moments where it'll be worth paddlin' out.
Water temp's sittin' at 72°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year – no surprises there.
The week kicks off with some clean-ish but not great surf. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd have a consistent 7ft to 8ft swell from the southeast, but it's blowin' a cross-off at 12-15 mph. The wave energy is moderate to strong (738 to 1979), but the quality is just not there – it's a bit on the messy side. The real standout for the first week is Monday the 3rd morning. We get glassy conditions with a light SE breeze, a clean 7ft swell from the SE at 10 seconds, and a combined energy of 944 (moderate). The swell direction is spot on for the break. It's a solid intermediate option that morning, but it's a short window.
Things drop off sharply after that. Tuesday the 4th through Thursday the 5th see the swell fade to 5ft and below, with onshore or cross-onshore winds messin' it up. Friday the 6th is a write-off.
Now, the real highlight of the whole 16-day run is Friday the 7th morning. The swell jumps to 5ft from the south, but here's the kicker – it's a 15-second period groundswell. That's a long period, meanin' proper energy and shape. The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror, and the combined energy is strong at 1041. This is a serious session for experienced surfers, as the longer period can make it a bit more powerful and tricky, especially at a beach break. The swell direction is from the south, which is not the optimum SE, but the quality of the conditions makes it the best on offer. The crowd profile is "sometimes," so you might have a few others in the water, but it'll be worth it.
Saturday the 8th is a no-go – strong cross-onshore winds and a short 8-second period chop up a 7ft swell. Sunday the 9th is blown out.
The second week has a few flickers. Monday the 10th afternoon has a massive 12ft swell from the ENE, but the file says it's too big for this break – that's for experts only, and even then, it's a mess. Tuesday the 11th morning is another glassy gem with a 7ft south swell at 11 seconds, and a very strong energy of 2192. That's a powerful, clean session for the experienced crew. Tuesday afternoon is also clean with a 7ft swell. Wednesday the 12th morning is clean with a 6ft swell, but it's a bit smaller and less punchy. The rest of the week fades into small, onshore, or choppy conditions.
Overall, the standout is Friday the 7th morning for the glassy, long-period groundswell, and Tuesday the 11th morning for the powerful, clean conditions. The rest of the time, you're either fightin' the wind or the swell is too small or too big. If you're a beginner, give it a miss most days, especially when it's over 5ft. For the experienced crew, those two mornings are the ones to circle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | S 7 | S 15 | E 6 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
729 | 865 | 1326 | 1910 | 1910 | 1340 | 901 | 698 | 532 | 500 | 433 | 193 | 189 | 147 | 117 | 113 | 89 | 321 | 958 | 190 | 258 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:33PM1.96m | 5:40AM1.84m | 6:02PM1.94m | 6:10AM1.79m | 6:34PM1.88m | 6:42AM1.71m | 7:10PM1.78m | 7:20AM1.60m | 7:53PM1.66m | 8:10AM1.47m | 8:52PM1.51m | 9:31AM1.34m | 10:33PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:18AM0.21m | 11:41PM0.32m | 11:47AM0.23m | 00:11AM0.36m | 12:17PM0.28m | 00:44AM0.43m | 12:50PM0.37m | 1:21AM0.53m | 1:29PM0.50m | 2:09AM0.65m | 2:21PM0.65m | 3:21AM0.77m | 3:49PM0.80m | ||||||||
6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | S 7 | S 15 | S 16 | E 7 |
729 | 865 | 1326 | 1910 | 1910 | 1340 | 901 | 698 | 532 | 500 | 433 | 193 | 189 | 147 | 117 | 113 | 89 | 217 | 958 | 190 | 176 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 13 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | S 9 | SSW 14 |
5 | 44 | 30 | 12 | 55 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 50 | 38 | 26 | 47 | 55 | 23 | 87 | 81 | 56 | 258 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | — | — | S 11 | S 14 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | S 11 | SE 12 | E 10 | SW 12 | S 11 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | — | SSW 13 | E 10 |
4 | — | — | 9 | 14 | 12 | 25 | 25 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 59 | 59 | 102 | — | 96 | 51 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | — | — | SSW 5 | S 3 | S 5 | S 7 | NE 6 | E 6 | NNE 5 |
— | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 24 | 111 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 97 | 321 | 2 | 154 | 72 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 130 | 856 | 0 | 1 | 130 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 155 | 155 | 54 | 0 | 5 | 14 |
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)
Latest Updates
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.











