
Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with 1,177 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period with ESE 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 (Aug 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
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 what North Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
First thing’s first, the water temp is sitting at 71°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The pattern starts off a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some size early on, but conditions are just not playing ball. Tuesday morning the 11th sees a 7ft SSE swell, but with a 22 mph cross-off wind, it's gonna be a bit of a battle. The energy is solid, with a combined energy reading of 1105, but the wind is just too strong for it to be any good for a paddle. It’s cleaner in the afternoon as the wind drops to 16 mph, but the swell backs off a touch to 6ft, and the period is a short 8 seconds. It’s really just a marginal, questionable situation.
Wednesday the 12th is more of the same, with a 7ft to 8ft ESE/SE swell, but the wind is cross-on, making it choppy. The energy is high, especially in the morning with a reading of 1246, but the quality isn't there.
Thursday the 13th is our first real chance of a surf. The swell drops to a clean 6ft on the Thursday morning, with a light S wind that’s just crossing the face. The combined energy is a moderate 533. It’s not pumping, but it’s the most rideable it’s been. The afternoon is a touch smaller at 5ft, and still clean with a light cross-on.
We then hit a proper dry spell. From Friday the 14th all the way through to the 21st, it’s a grim run of cross-on to onshore winds and poor surf conditions. The swell is around, but the quality is just not there. There’s a small window on the morning of Thursday the 20th with a tiny 2ft SSW groundswell (14-second period) and a light cross-off wind, but it’s barely a ripple.
Now, let’s talk about the real standout. Look out for Saturday the 22nd. The morning is looking magic. We’ve got a 5ft S swell, but here’s the kicker – it’s glassy. The wind is basically nothing, 3 mph from the NE, and the combined energy is a light 282. It’s small, but it’ll be as clean as a whistle. The afternoon is a write-off though, with a howling 28 mph cross-off wind.
Sunday the 23rd is the big one. We’ve got a solid 6ft to 7ft S groundswell, with a very long 15-second period. The combined energy is pumping, hitting 1547 in the morning and 1792 in the afternoon. The morning wind is a fresh cross-off, so it’ll be clean. This is a powerful, long-period swell, so it’ll be throwing some serious lines, but it’s a beach break, so it might be a bit straight and dumpy. This one is for the experienced crew only. The afternoon gets a bit choppy as the wind swings more cross.
After that, the swell starts to fade and the wind goes back to the cross-on junk for the rest of the run into the 26th.
So, to sum it up: the best bets are the Thursday morning the 13th for a clean, small wave, and the glassy morning of Saturday the 22nd. The real standout, if you're an expert, is the Sunday morning the 23rd for that big, long-period groundswell, but be ready for the power.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
624 | 470 | 811 | 973 | 659 | 409 | 196 | 171 | 279 | 342 | 566 | 588 | 757 | 855 | 711 | 757 | 639 | 459 | 379 | 262 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 3:12PM1.86m | 3:25AM1.88m | 3:50PM2.00m | 4:03AM1.96m | 4:26PM2.07m | 4:37AM2.00m | 4:59PM2.09m | 5:10AM1.98m | 5:30PM2.06m | 5:41AM1.91m | 6:00PM1.97m | 6:10AM1.80m | 6:29PM1.85m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:21PM0.35m | 9:36AM0.20m | 9:59PM0.24m | 10:12AM0.12m | 10:35PM0.18m | 10:45AM0.09m | 11:08PM0.18m | 11:17AM0.12m | 11:39PM0.23m | 11:47AM0.20m | 00:10AM0.33m | 12:15PM0.32m | 00:39AM0.45m | |||||||
— | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | 4 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
469 | 470 | 811 | 973 | 659 | 409 | 196 | 171 | 279 | 342 | 566 | 588 | 757 | 855 | 711 | 757 | 639 | 459 | 379 | 262 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 10 | S 9 | ESE 11 | SSW 10 | S 11 | E 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SE 10 | SSW 5 |
273 | 450 | 440 | 24 | 37 | 82 | 167 | 112 | 50 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | E 10 | SE 9 | S 24 | S 12 | S 23 | S 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 20 | S 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 15 |
156 | 379 | 29 | 11 | 24 | 41 | 49 | 127 | 61 | 25 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NNE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | — | SSW 4 | NE 5 |
624 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 21 | 16 | 25 | 44 | 41 | 69 | 62 | — | 3 | 30 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 907 | 1 | 803 | 907 | 907 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 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.











