Surf Forecasts:
St Mikes surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with 1,961 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period with SE 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 (Jul 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at St Mikes in the next 16 days are 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for St Mikes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I'm looking at the charts for our area. Honestly, the next week and a half looks pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions with messy wind, before we finally see a solid window at the very end of the forecast.
St Mikes is the only game in town here, and for the most part, it’s not a pretty picture. The water’s sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – not bad, but it’s about the only good thing going for a while. The combined swell energy starts off high at (1383), but the wind is a messy cross-shore that’ll chop things up. That 7 ft SSE swell has a decent 12-second period, but with that wind, it's not going to be a fun paddle.
For the rest of July and into the first few days of August, it’s a write-off. We’ve got days on end with strong, lumpy cross-shore winds, gusting over 19 mph, and a few rain showers thrown in for good measure. The swell direction jumps around, and the wave state is consistently described as poor. There's a brief moment on the morning of the 31st of July where the wind looks light and clean, but the swell is tiny at 3 ft and the energy is low (337). It's a promising sign, just not enough to get excited about.
But hang in there. The real action kicks off on Saturday, the 1st of August. The morning shows a solid 10 ft SSW groundswell with a 11-second period, pumping in with (2339) energy. It's big and strong, and the wind is light. Then, Saturday afternoon is the standout. It’s absolute glass with a calm wind, and the swell bumps up to a powerful 12 ft from the SSW with (2481) energy. This is big, serious surf – one for the experienced crew only, as it's well over 8 ft. That's a long-period groundswell with solid power, and it'll be breaking clean as a whistle. Sunday morning, the 2nd of August, holds the same quality with glassy conditions and a 10 ft swell from the S.
So, two real standout sessions on the 1st and 2nd of August. The wind will be perfect, and the swell will be pumping. The morning of the 3rd still has size, but that fresh cross-shore wind will spoil it. For now, it’s a waiting game for that weekend to arrive.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Mon night, fresh winds from the NE by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu morning, light winds from the E by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1236 | 841 | 614 | 478 | 478 | 376 | 361 | 282 | 205 | 158 | 230 | 736 | 991 | 798 | 361 | 358 | 362 | 239 | 261 | 198 | 85 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 7:55PM1.44m | 8:02AM1.24m | 8:39PM1.31m | 8:52AM1.12m | 9:39PM1.19m | 10:19AM1.03m | 11:17PM1.13m | 12:25PM1.03m | 00:56AM1.16m | 1:44PM1.12m | 1:58AM1.26m | 2:31PM1.24m | 2:40AM1.36m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:28PM0.32m | 2:06AM0.49m | 2:08PM0.46m | 2:55AM0.60m | 2:58PM0.59m | 4:08AM0.68m | 4:20PM0.69m | 5:59AM0.69m | 6:19PM0.70m | 7:28AM0.61m | 7:40PM0.61m | 8:19AM0.49m | 8:28PM0.51m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  | | | | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | SE 11 | SE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 1236 | 841 | 614 | 478 | 478 | 376 | 361 | 282 | 193 | 107 | 48 | 80 | 60 | 798 | 361 | 186 | 147 | 103 | 261 | 198 | 374 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 48 | 143 | 65 | 54 | 151 | 179 | 285 | 198 | 205 | 142 | 110 | 25 | 6 | 277 | 326 | 196 | 362 | 239 | 84 | 64 | 85 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | — | SSW 21 | SE 11 | S 20 | S 19 | SE 10 | E 9 | — | — | SE 9 |
| kJ | 30 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 6 | — | 98 | 158 | 98 | — | 44 | 42 | 194 | 358 | 15 | 6 | — | — | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | SSW 3 | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 11 | — | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | 176 | 381 | 10 | 230 | 736 | 991 | — | — | 2 | 16 | 18 | 57 | 278 | 884 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 140 | 232 | 0 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 96 | 380 | 0 | 169 | 252 | 4 | 232 | 98 | 68 | 96 | 96 | 113 | 414 | 602 | 121 |
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.
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