Umhlanga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks at Umhlanga. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. The first week is pretty average, mostly marginal with winds all over the shop. But there are a couple of sessions that are worth setting your alarm for.

We start off with Wednesday afternoon the 12th of August, and straight away it’s a tough one. There’s a solid 8 ft SE swell running, and the combined energy is a meaty 1156. That’s proper grunt, but the wind is howling onshore from the SE at 9 mph, putting a nasty chop on it. For the beginner-friendly Umhlanga (KwaZulu-Natal), this is going to be messy and tough to paddle into. The water temp is 71°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are no better. The swell drops, but the winds are cross or cross-on, and the forecast doesn’t rate the quality. Not worth getting wet for.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th see the swell building again, around 5 ft to 6 ft from the E and ENE with a period up to 11 seconds. The wave energy is moderate to strong (606 to 884), but unfortunately, the NE wind is cross and fresh, so there’s a lumpy cross-chop. Better than the week before, but still not the clean lines we chase.

Then we hit the standout. Monday afternoon the 17th of August is the clear winner in this window. The swell is a clean 5 ft from the east, with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 498. The wind drops out to almost nothing, going glassy from the ESE at just 3 mph. This is the one. Umhlanga will be clean, with little lines holding up. The crowd factor is “sometimes”, so you might have a few mates out, but it won’t be a circus. This is your go.

Tuesday the 18th the swell backs right off to 4 ft to 4 ft, and it’s back to cross winds and marginal conditions. Not much to report there.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th bring a new pulse. The 20th shows a serious increase, with a 7 ft S swell and a 13-second period, delivering very strong energy (1551). But the winds are onshore or cross-on, so it’s going to be a bumpy, powerful mess at this beach-and-reef setup. Only for the keen and the well-padded.

The week after, from the 21st through the 23rd, is a write-off. Strong winds from various directions (NNE up to 25 mph, NE up to 34 mph, SW at 25 mph) ruin any chance of clean waves. The swell is there, but it’s a washing machine.

We end the period with a promising, but distant, swell on Monday the 24th of August. A long-period 17-second groundswell from the south at 7 ft, with combined energy off the charts at 2325. This is huge, powerful, and very long period. The wind is a light cross-on from the S at 6 mph. For a point break, this would be unbelievable, but at Umhlanga’s beach-and-reef setup, that long period can make it break a bit too straight and sucky. Worth a look if you’re an expert, but it’s a long way off and forecasts can shuffle. A better bet might be the Monday afternoon with a similar 6 ft S swell but lighter ESE winds at 3 mph. Keep an eye on it.

Overall, Monday afternoon the 17th is the day. Get on it.
Rusty

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