Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with 5,852 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 7s. 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 3.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
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 got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, the first few days are a write-off. The wind is a mess, the swell is junky, and the water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 68°. We’re looking at Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd with nothing but poor surf and onshore chop. Wednesday afternoon actually has a super long period swell (16 seconds) from the SSW, but it’s only 3ft with a moderate cross-shore, so it’s not doing anything. Thursday the 3rd is just as ugly with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions.
But then, hold onto your boards. Saturday the 5th is the real standout. The morning is absolutely glassy. We’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the SE with a moderate wave energy (1098), and it’s glassy. The afternoon is dead calm, glassy, with 7ft from the SE. This is the window for the experienced crew. The swell is a bit big for beginners, but for anyone who knows what they’re doing, North Beach is going to be firing. The swell direction is straight from the SE, which is right in the optimum zone for this spot. Crowds are possible here, so get out early.
Sunday the 6th is a step down, with the wind shifting and the swell mixing up, making things marginal. The following week is a bit of a mixed bag. Monday the 7th morning sees a massive 12ft swell from the S with a very long period (16 seconds), and the wind is cross-onshore. The combined energy is a massive 6842, but it’s just too big and messy for this break—really only for the hardcore experts, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The rest of that week from Tuesday the 8th through to Friday the 11th is mostly poor with cross-on winds and onshore chop.
There’s a glimmer of hope later on. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th mornings look promising with a cross-offshore wind from the SSW. The swell is around 7ft on Sunday and 5ft on Monday, both from the ENE, with the wind keeping things clean. The energy is moderate (915 and 430). It’s a marginal call, but if the wind holds, those are the cleanest windows in the second week. The 16th of September morning also has a clean cross-offshore wind with an 8ft ENE swell, but it’s a long way out, so don’t lock it in just yet.
So, in short: the first few days are a total dud. Saturday the 5th is your best bet for glassy, clean waves. The second week has a few days with clean wind, but the swell is a bit more on the shoulder. Keep an eye on the 13th and 16th.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Warm (max 33°C on Thu morning, min 17°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the SSW by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | S 22 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 140 | 157 | 172 | 337 | 416 | 164 | 424 | 274 | 1093 | 2770 | 1405 | 802 | 474 | 318 | 202 | 164 | 1599 | 4884 | 2594 | 902 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 12:19PM1.33m | 00:53AM1.40m | 1:37PM1.54m | 1:54AM1.59m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:13AM0.35m | 12:20PM0.36m | 00:47AM0.49m | 12:57PM0.54m | 1:31AM0.65m | 1:46PM0.74m | 2:44AM0.82m | 3:39PM0.92m | 5:32AM0.86m | 6:39PM0.85m | 7:14AM0.69m | 7:49PM0.65m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — |
 | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 33 | 31 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 22 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 16 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | S 22 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 |
| kJ | 140 | 157 | 144 | 119 | 416 | 164 | 424 | 274 | 82 | 67 | 1405 | 802 | 474 | 249 | 202 | 164 | 1599 | 4884 | 2594 | 902 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | E 8 | SSW 14 | S 12 | — | E 10 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 10 | E 9 | — | E 10 |
| kJ | 4 | 38 | 172 | 337 | 71 | 145 | 75 | — | 68 | 9 | 50 | 66 | 244 | 318 | 112 | 86 | 163 | 136 | — | 30 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 7 | NE 8 | S 4 | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | S 17 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | E 9 | — | — | S 19 |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 67 | 5 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 110 | 64 | 46 | 149 | 143 | 130 | — | — | 30 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — | N 3 | SSW 12 | SSW 6 | S 8 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 9 | ENE 4 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | — | — | 7 | 210 | 253 | 1093 | 2770 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 181 | 50 | 132 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 154 | 1 | 2 | 238 | 5 | 1424 | 1424 | 779 | 721 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 695 | 856 | 219 |
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)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our North Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest