Surf Forecasts:
St Mikes surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, S swell with 1,504 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for St Mikes this week:
The surf forecast for St Mikes over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at St Mikes in the next 16 days are 1.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 10s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for St Mikes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, looking at the surf scene for us over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch. St Mikes is a reef break that’s fairly exposed to the swell, but the wind and conditions are just not playing ball for most of the run. The water's sitting at 70° right now, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Sunday, August 23rd, and even then it’s a marginal call. The morning could see some clean lines with a light onshore breeze from the ESE, but the swell is only 4ft from the south, with a decent 14-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 674, so there’s some push, but it’s not a standout. The rest of that week is a write-off – cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions through the 24th, 25th, and 26th, with the swell bouncing around but never aligning with the wind.
The best bet in this whole outlook is Monday, August 31st. That morning, we’ve got a solid 13ft swell from the SSW, with a 13-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the SW. The combined energy is massive at 6786, so this is a powerful, clean groundswell. The break is a reef, which is perfect for handling that long-period energy, and the wind is cleaning it up nicely. That said, 13ft is well into expert territory – leave the foamy at home. The afternoon is still good, with 8ft from the south and cross-off winds, but the energy drops to 2626.
After that, Tuesday, September 1st, the swell fades and the wind turns cross-on again, ending the run on a flat note. For a reef that’s fairly consistent, this is a disappointing string of days, but that August 31st morning is the one to circle. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but if the forecast holds, it’s a proper session.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 23°C on Wed night, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the SW by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Thu night, strong winds from the SSW by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 11 | SW 14 | SSW 6 | S 5 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | ENE 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | SSW 9 | S 6 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4 | 8 | 95 | 28 | 26 | 118 | 109 | 674 | 708 | 455 | 1504 | 704 | 374 | 117 | 216 | 175 | 218 | 602 | 408 | 346 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:31PM1.62m | 6:37AM1.44m | 6:59PM1.48m | 7:05AM1.30m | 7:27PM1.32m | 7:35AM1.16m | 8:04PM1.16m | 8:23AM1.01m | 9:37PM1.02m | 12:15PM0.95m | 00:56AM1.07m | 1:48PM1.09m | 1:54AM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:38AM0.29m | 12:41PM0.28m | 1:07AM0.42m | 1:10PM0.43m | 1:40AM0.56m | 1:43PM0.59m | 2:28AM0.69m | 2:39PM0.74m | 4:59AM0.78m | 6:13PM0.79m | 7:33AM0.67m | 7:45PM0.66m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 18 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 14 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | S 6 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 520 | 422 | 211 | 168 | 159 | 148 | 104 | 86 | 46 | 23 | 1504 | 704 | 374 | 80 | 42 | 17 | 58 | 602 | 408 | 346 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 16 | S 5 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | S 10 | SSW 13 | E 8 | SSW 14 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 4 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 118 | 26 | — | 71 | 47 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 117 | 95 | 5 | 218 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | SW 17 | SW 9 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — | NE 8 | — | — | — | SSW 12 | — | E 8 | E 9 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 |
| kJ | 2 | — | 74 | 3 | 26 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 85 | — | 11 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 9 | SSW 6 | S 5 | — | NE 3 | ENE 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | S 9 | — | ENE 3 | NE 5 | NE 6 | SSW 9 | S 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | 95 | 28 | — | 4 | 109 | 674 | 708 | 455 | — | 7 | 61 | 141 | 216 | 175 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 96 | 21 | 140 | 188 | 4 | 96 | 96 | 157 | 648 | 140 | 0 | 380 | 96 | 0 | 649 | 648 | 0 | 45 | 96 | 0 |
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 St Mikes 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 St Mikes Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for St Mikes provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at St Mikes can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our St Mikes 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 (St Mikes) 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 St Mikes 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.
St Mikes is 17 km (11 miles) from Port Shepstone. If you plan a holiday in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Shepstone. Port Shepstone has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest