Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, ENE swell with 1,837 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. It’s a bit of a waiting game for the next week and a half, to be honest. The data for North Beach (North-Beach_1) is showing a lot of lumpy, cross-onshore slop and not much in the way of clean, rideable surf. There are some glimmers of potential later on, but you’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.
Right now, and for the next several days, we're looking at a lot of NE wind pushing in close-range, weak ENE swell. The energy is weak to moderate, around 155 to 686, but the wind just ruins it. It’s going to be choppy and messy. There is some cleaner surf on Friday the 11th as the wind swings offshore, but the swell is tiny at 3-4ft, so it’s not really going to offer much push. That's a low point.
The real change doesn't come until the 17th. Thursday the 17th morning brings in a proper S swell at 8ft with an 8-second period, and the wind is a cross-offshore. The energy jumps up to 1017, which is strong. This is the standout of the whole window. Bigger, cleaner, and with more push coming in from the South. That’s the one to circle. After that, there's a slight drop and some cleaner conditions on Sunday the 20th, but the swell is shorter period and the energy is moderate.
At the beginning of the second week, the 22nd and 23rd see the period stretch out nicely to 12-15 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but the size drops right down to under 3ft, so it’s small and weak, even though the conditions are clean on the 23rd morning. The wave energy is moderate but not huge.
Then we get that final push on the 24th with a big 10ft ENE swell and strong energy of 1842. But with a fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph, it’s going to be blown out and lumpy, a mess. For a beach/pier setup like this, all that energy on onshore wind makes it look like a kite-surfing day rather than a paddle-surfing one.
The water temp is at 69°, which is about average for this time of year. Nothing crazy there.
So, the honest take: there’s one proper day on Thursday the 17th. That’s your window. The rest of the week is marginal or poor. If you’re flexible and desperate, the 23rd morning might be a fun little clean one, but it’s small. It’s a classic early autumn pattern of waiting for the wind to swing.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 18°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Wed afternoon, calm by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 18°C on Sun night). Mainly near gales. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 18 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 572 | 811 | 370 | 434 | 359 | 190 | 180 | 130 | 127 | 96 | 130 | 178 | 188 | 335 | 804 | 1657 | 1496 | 529 | 473 | 430 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 2:57PM1.93m | 3:10AM1.90m | 3:29PM2.05m | 3:42AM1.98m | 4:00PM2.12m | 4:13AM2.02m | 4:29PM2.13m | 4:41AM2.00m | 4:56PM2.09m | 5:08AM1.93m | 5:23PM2.00m | 5:34AM1.83m | 5:48PM1.88m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:07PM0.29m | 9:16AM0.19m | 9:39PM0.19m | 9:48AM0.11m | 10:10PM0.14m | 10:17AM0.09m | 10:38PM0.14m | 10:45AM0.13m | 11:06PM0.19m | 11:12AM0.20m | 11:32PM0.29m | 11:37AM0.32m | 11:58PM0.41m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — |
 | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 90 | 527 | 42 | 27 | 359 | 190 | 180 | 130 | 127 | 96 | 130 | 81 | 59 | 157 | 72 | 70 | 1050 | 529 | 473 | 430 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | S 15 | S 14 | SSE 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 5 | S 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 9 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 |
| kJ | 13 | 62 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 58 | 48 | 20 | 17 | 83 | 85 | 103 | 31 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 34 | 28 | 23 | 21 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | E 12 | S 9 | SE 12 | S 20 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | S 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 |
| kJ | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 11 | 28 | 25 | 178 | 100 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | S 6 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 572 | 811 | 370 | 434 | — | 88 | 78 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 188 | 335 | 804 | 1657 | 1496 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 695 | 5 | 307 | 238 | 1 | 238 | 285 | 0 | 5 | 1238 | 5 | 5 | 907 | 740 | 484 | 268 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
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.
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