Surf Forecasts:
St Mikes surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 17s period, S swell with 3,347 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period with S 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. 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 2.4m 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 3.5m 9s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for St Mikes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look.
Well, I'm not gonna lie to you—this is a tough stretch. Wave energy's there at times, but the quality and the wind are just fighting us for most of the next two weeks. We’re looking at a long dry spell, then a couple of flickers of hope. The main spot on the radar is St Mikes.
We kick off Monday, the 24th of August, and what a flat, choppy mess. Swell’s tiny, barely 3 feet from the SSE, and that cross-on NE breeze is just ruining any chance of a decent wave. Energy's weak (193). Nothing doing. That carries through the whole first week, to be honest. Tuesday the 25th gives us a bit more push from the southwest in the afternoon—swell hits 4 feet from the SSW with a solid 17-second period, and the energy jumps up (791). That longer period suggests proper groundswell, and for a reef setup like St Mikes, that can be a good thing. But that cross-shore wind is leaving a little chop on the surface. It’s marginal, a “2” at best. You *might* find a sneaky one, but I wouldn't paddle out with high hopes.
Wednesday the 26th shows the biggest energy spike of the whole run—the afternoon has 6 feet of S swell with an 18-second period, energy is cooking at 2045. That's proper. But it's cross-shore, and the quality is still only marginal. That’s a frustrating combo. After that, the wind gets nasty from the 27th through the 30th—strong, lumpy, messy onshore conditions. The swell drops off a cliff by Sunday the 30th, down to 1 foot with a glassy surface in the afternoon, but it's basically flat. A skate session, not a surf.
Then we hit a real dead zone. From Monday the 31st of August all the way through to Friday the 4th of September, it’s just poor. Tiny waves, messy wind, the energy levels are in the low double-digits and hundreds. Not worth a second look.
Now, here’s where it gets a little interesting. Saturday the 5th of September, the swell tries to come back. The morning shows 4 feet from the south, 12-second period, with a light cross-onshore breeze. Energy is moderate (485). It's a "marginal" call, graded a "1". Not a standout, but after such a blank run, it's the first glimpse of real surfable waves. Then on Sunday the 6th of September, we've got some cleaner potential. Morning has a 2-foot SSW swell, but the afternoon builds to 3 feet with a lovely 14-second period. The energy is moderate (399-452), and importantly, the wind is light and cross-shore. It's still a marginal call, grade "1", but that's the most promising session in the entire outlook—small but clean.
And then, right at the very end, Monday the 7th of September, the swell jumps up to 8 feet from the south. That's big—expert territory. Period's short at 8 seconds, though, so it’ll be a bit of a close-out mess on the sets. Wind is moderate cross-shore. It’s big, but not clean. Energy is strong (829). Tuesday the 8th drops back to a smaller but cleaner 4 feet from the south, and that’s our last look.
So, here’s the verdict. Don't bother with the first week. The two real standouts, if you can call them that, are the Sunday 6th of September for a small, clean window that’s your best bet for a nice longboard session, and if you’re an expert, the Monday the 7th of September for a bigger, punchier, but messier swell. It's a waiting game.
Rusty signing off.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Wed night, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SSE 8 | S 9 | S 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 17 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 15 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
200 | 115 | 130 | 147 | 419 | 772 | 547 | 1027 | 2038 | 3197 | 929 | 673 | 529 | 359 | 287 | 275 | 295 | 184 | 69 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 1:54AM1.21m | 2:24PM1.25m | 2:29AM1.35m | 2:52PM1.41m | 2:57AM1.48m | 3:18PM1.55m | 3:24AM1.59m | 3:44PM1.68m | 3:51AM1.67m | 4:10PM1.78m | 4:17AM1.72m | 4:36PM1.83m | 4:45AM1.74m | ||||||
Low Tide | 8:12AM0.52m | 8:23PM0.51m | 8:40AM0.37m | 8:53PM0.38m | 9:06AM0.23m | 9:20PM0.26m | 9:31AM0.12m | 9:47PM0.15m | 9:56AM0.03m | 10:14PM0.08m | 10:22AM-0.02m | 10:42PM0.04m | |||||||
— | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
5:36 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 9 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 17 | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
200 | 115 | 130 | 74 | 419 | 772 | 547 | 1027 | 2038 | 3197 | 929 | 673 | 529 | 359 | 287 | 174 | 295 | 184 | 69 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | S 17 | S 8 | SE 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 12 | S 18 | S 17 | — | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | SW 11 | SW 14 | — |
97 | 78 | 45 | 147 | 33 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 219 | 195 | — | 46 | 129 | 275 | 30 | 7 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 9 | SE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 15 | — | — |
6 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 2 | NE 3 | NE 4 | SSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | E 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
— | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | 94 | 271 | 581 | 882 | 714 | 932 | 777 | 919 | 1368 | 1144 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 96 | 96 | 0 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 31 | 9 | 96 | 602 | 622 | 307 | 237 | 821 | 121 | 459 | 602 | 327 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











