Umhlanga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what we’ve got for Umhlanga over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, so the first thing to say is, we’re not surfing this weekend. It’s a bit of a slow burner. The swell’s on the small side and the wind’s all over the place with that cross-onshore ENE flow. There’s some energy there from Saturday 12th September afternoon – a combined swell energy of around (199) – but it’s just not clean enough to get excited about.

Sunday the 13th offers a little more size, with waves around 5 ft on Sunday morning, but that cross-on wind is still messing it up. Sunday afternoon throws in a curveball – a small 2 ft swell but from the SSW with a very long 17-second period. That’s some serious groundswell attempting to push in, but the wind’s cross-shore and the combined energy is (536). It’s a tease, but not a goer.

Monday the 14th we get a big spike in size – 8 ft on the morning and 12 ft in the afternoon – but it’s howling cross-shore from the NE, 25 to 34 mph. That is full-on kite-surfing territory. For a paddle surfer, that’s a hard pass.

Tuesday the 15th drops back, with 7 ft in the morning and light winds, so it’s almost there but the cross-shore is still just a little lumpy. The energy is still moderate (800). It’s frustrating.

Now, here’s the good news. The standout window arrives on Monday the 21st of September. Monday morning looks excellent for experienced surfers. Swell drops to a solid 8 ft from the SE, with that long 9-second period holding. But the key is the wind: a gentle WSW cross-offshore breeze at 9 mph. That’s clean. The combined swell energy is a healthy (1515). The break is Umhlanga, so it’s a beach-and-reef setup. For the afternoon, it goes glassy with WSW cross-offshore at just 6 mph, and the swell settles to 7 ft from the ESE with (898) energy. This is the pick of the whole forecast. Clean, solid, and manageable. Bring your board.

Before that, Wednesday morning the 16th of September is worth a mention. Offshore wind from the SE at 6 mph, and 6 ft from the east. The combined energy is (616). It’s a bit small and marginal, but it’s clean, and that’s a nice little session to tide you over.

After the Monday the 21st standouts, things get a bit messy again. The wind swings back cross or cross-on, and by Tuesday the 22nd we’re back to lumpy cross-shore stuff. The water temperature right now is 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for the time of year – that anomaly of -3° is worth noting if you’re not used to it. Bring a spring suit.

Then we finish the 16-day run with another long-period spike on Saturday the 26th of September. We’re looking at an 8 ft swell from the south with a very long 15-second period, and the combined energy is massive at (3132). That’s a lot of power. However, the wind is fresh cross-shore from the NE at 19 mph, so it’ll be lumpy and challenging. The period is so long at a beach-and-reef spot like Umhlanga, it may well break a bit too straight and be tricky. There might be a wave out there for the experts, but it’s not the clean, easy pick the Monday the 21st is.

Bottom line: hold out for Monday the 21st. That’s your best session. The rest is mostly a battle with the wind.

Rusty.

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