
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, S swell with 1,667 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 2.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for North Beach.
We’re kicking off with a bit of a slow start. The first couple of days are nothing to write home about. Wednesday the 15th has some chest-high swell, around 6ft, coming from the east, but that cross-shore wind is just messing with the surface. It’s not clean, it’s not terrible, but it’s not worth rushing out for. The wave energy is moderate (735), but the conditions just aren’t clicking.
Now, Thursday morning the 16th is where it gets interesting. The swell drops a touch to 5ft from the east, but the wind goes glassy. That’s the magic word. That’s the kind of morning you set an alarm for. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird. The wave energy is still solid (537), and clean, peeling lines are the call. This is the standout of the first week. If you can get out there Thursday morning, do it.
Friday the 17th sees the swell drop and the wind swing back around, making it a bit of a mess. Not worth it. Saturday the 18th gets a pulse of south swell, but the wind is onshore and choppy. Wave energy spikes up (803), but the quality is poor. Sunday the 19th is a bit of a tease – a clean 6ft swell from the south in the morning, but the wind is just a little too cross-on for it to be proper. It’s better than nothing, but not the standout.
Monday the 20th is another good window. The morning has clean 5ft swell from the south-southeast, with a light offshore breeze. The wave energy is still decent (767), and it’s a proper session. Not as glassy as Thursday, but good.
Then we hit a lull. Tuesday the 21st through Saturday the 25th is a pretty dead stretch. The swell gets small, the wind is onshore, and it’s just not surfable. A few days of nothing.
Now, look ahead to the 27th of July. Monday afternoon is a bit messy, but Tuesday morning the 27th? That’s the second real standout. The swell is back to 5ft from the south, and the wind is glassy again. Perfect. The wave energy is moderate (698), and the conditions are as good as it gets. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on the forecast, but it looks promising.
Beyond that, the 28th and 29th get bigger, with the 29th morning seeing a 10ft swell from the south. That’s too big for this spot – it’s an expert-only wave at that size, and the wind is choppy on top of it. The energy is very strong (2048), but it’s a mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Bottom line: Thursday morning the 16th and Tuesday morning the 27th are your best bets. Clean, glassy, and fun. The rest is a mixed bag.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tue 21 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | S 14 | S 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
792 | 716 | 784 | 736 | 520 | 386 | 327 | 279 | 234 | 190 | 158 | 499 | 1442 | 841 | 743 | 1143 | 458 | 447 | 273 | 205 | 190 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:14AM1.92m | 4:43PM1.98m | 4:55AM1.93m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:08PM0.29m | 10:27AM0.16m | 10:51PM0.26m | 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 | |||||||
— | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | |
5:13 | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 23 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | S 14 | S 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 12 |
792 | 716 | 784 | 736 | 520 | 386 | 327 | 279 | 234 | 190 | 153 | 499 | 1442 | 841 | 743 | 1143 | 458 | 447 | 273 | 205 | 190 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 5 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 10 | SSW 10 | NE 6 | SSW 12 | S 7 |
19 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 50 | 16 | 15 | 24 | 152 | 158 | 149 | 120 | 90 | 68 | 47 | 279 | 125 | 32 | 111 | 69 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 16 | SE 11 | S 10 | S 4 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | S 10 | — | S 14 | E 10 | S 16 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | SSW 13 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 14 | ENE 6 | SSW 13 |
— | 10 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 15 | 2 | — | 65 | 151 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 30 | 28 | 195 | 15 | 176 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | — | S 5 | SW 9 | — | ENE 3 | NE 6 | SSW 4 | — |
— | — | 15 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 17 | — | 68 | 287 | — | 7 | 69 | 4 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 238 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
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.











