Surf Forecasts:
North Beach surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 17s period, S swell with 3,092 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period with S 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s is also forecast. 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 2.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what North Beach has in store for us. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.
The opening of the period is a bit of a letdown. Friday the 21st sees some S swell at 3ft, but the wind is onshore and the energy is weak (282). It’s a pass for me. We then hit a dry spell for a few days; Saturday the 22nd through to Tuesday the 25th is pretty much a write-off. The wind is messy, and the swell is tiny or choppy. You’ll be fighting a losing battle out there.
The first real glimmer of hope arrives on Wednesday the 26th. The morning session is the standout for the near-term. We’ve got a clean 4ft S swell, with a very long period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is light and cross-offshore, which will have the lines looking tidy. The wave energy is moderate (749). This is the one to point your board at. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 5ft, but the wind swings cross-on, so stick to the morning.
Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th get blown out by strong NE winds, making a mess of the 4ft to 7ft swell. Not worth the hassle.
Now, looking further ahead, Sunday the 30th has a bit of a story. The afternoon brings a big 10ft S swell, but the file warns it’s predicted to be too big for this break. The ocean isn’t lying – that’s a serious amount of water (1463 energy). The wind is light and cross-shore, but at that size, this is only for the absolute experts. Beginners and even most intermediates should sit this one out.
Monday the 31st still has size, with a 7ft SSW swell in the morning, but the wind is cross and the conditions are messy. The energy is strong (1502), but the quality isn’t there.
From Tuesday the 1st of September onward, the pattern turns messy again. We get a mix of onshore winds and lumpy, blown-out conditions, with a few spots of cross-offshore wind but nothing that lines up perfectly with decent swell. The run is poor.
So, the true standout is Wednesday the 26th for the morning session at North Beach. Clean, long-period S swell at 4ft with light offshore wind. It doesn’t get much better than that for this stretch. The Sunday the 30th afternoon session is a monster for the experts only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sat night, calm by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Mon night, fresh winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | S 10 | S 16 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 16 | SSW 16 | S 17 | S 17 | S 18 | S 14 | S 14 | S 17 | S 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 151 | 67 | 306 | 1314 | 637 | 621 | 268 | 216 | 136 | 79 | 183 | 320 | 734 | 692 | 1996 | 1158 | 943 | 855 | 1858 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:28PM1.25m | 12:11PM1.16m | 00:48AM1.27m | 1:47PM1.32m | 1:52AM1.40m | 2:22PM1.50m | 2:28AM1.55m | 2:50PM1.67m | 2:57AM1.68m | 3:17PM1.82m | 3:25AM1.80m | 3:43PM1.94m | 3:52AM1.89m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:06AM0.97m | 6:20PM1.00m | 7:26AM0.86m | 7:49PM0.85m | 8:07AM0.70m | 8:27PM0.69m | 8:37AM0.55m | 8:57PM0.54m | 9:04AM0.41m | 9:24PM0.40m | 9:31AM0.28m | 9:51PM0.30m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | 5:34 | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 24 | 28 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 20 | 22 | 26 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 6 | S 15 | E 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 16 | S 17 | S 17 | S 18 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 17 |
| kJ | 151 | 66 | 57 | 110 | 6 | 354 | 268 | 216 | 136 | 79 | 55 | 320 | 734 | 692 | 1996 | 1158 | 943 | 653 | 1858 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | SSW 13 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 4 | S 16 | SSE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | S 17 | S 17 | S 17 | — |
| kJ | 20 | 67 | 289 | 15 | 15 | 32 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 183 | 33 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1143 | 587 | 855 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | E 8 | SSW 16 | — | NE 6 | E 9 | — | SE 12 | S 16 | SSW 16 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | — | E 9 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 47 | 11 | 188 | — | 2 | 6 | — | 6 | 19 | 50 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 4 | — | 6 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | ENE 5 | S 16 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | — | — | ENE 3 | — | — | S 3 | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 19 | 306 | 1314 | 637 | 621 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 67 | 266 | 294 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 5 | 18 | 405 | 330 | 285 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 2 | 887 | 856 | 555 |
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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