Vetchs Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.86° S 31.05° E

Vetchs Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 01 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Vetchs Reef sea temperature is
22.2° C
0.8° 

Vetchs Reef surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Vetchs Reef surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with 2,158 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s period with SE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Vetchs Reef this week:

The surf forecast for Vetchs Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Vetchs Reef in the next 16 days are 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 14s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Sat 1st Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 10s
Best Surf11PM (Sat 1st Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 10s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 2nd Aug)10ft (3.0m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Vetchs Reef over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a 16-day window for Vetchs Reef, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. This spot is an advanced, rarely breaking reef, so we’re already in specialist territory. The first few days are pretty underwhelming, and it’s not until the second week that things start to fire.

To kick things off, the water temp is sitting at 72°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, but nothing crazy.

The opening weekend is a write-off. Saturday and Sunday have a couple of meters of swell, but the wind is a messy cross-off and the energy is all over the place. It’s lumpy and poor, so you’re not missing anything. Monday the 3rd shows a brief flicker of life with some glassy conditions and a clean 7ft, but the period is a weak 10 seconds and the energy is just moderate (934). It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

Then we hit a flat spell. From the 4th through the 9th, it's mostly small, short-period slop with onshore winds and dropping energy. There are a couple of clean moments, but the swell is tiny. This is a big letdown stretch, about five days of not much.

But hold on. Things get interesting on Monday the 10th of August. The swell starts to build, and by the afternoon we’re looking at a solid 13ft of ENE swell. The energy is pumping at 2370. It’s big, it’s raw, but the wind is howling cross-off at 19 mph. It’s a beast, but for a rarely breaking reef, you’d need to be a seasoned pro to even consider it.

The real standout, the one you circle on the calendar, is Tuesday the 11th of August. Morning sees 6ft of ENE swell with a 9-second period and, crucially, a glassy surface with next to no wind. The energy is strong (1051). This is clean, powerful, and lined up perfectly for the reef. The afternoon looks great for the experienced crew too, with 8ft and a light cross-off keeping it clean. This is the pick of the bunch, no contest. The conditions are excellent for those who can handle it.

Wednesday the 12th is still good, with a clean 6ft in the morning and light winds. It’s not as strong as Tuesday, but it’s worth a paddle. From the 13th onwards, we see a steady decline back into smaller, less interesting surf. There’s a bit of swell on the 16th, but the onshore wind will chop it up. It looks like a longer-period setup, but the short period (8s) and the cross-on breeze are a buzzkill.

So, in short, if you’re an advanced surfer, Tuesday the 11th is your day. It’s the one true standout. The rest of the window is either too small, too windy, or too messy to be worth the effort. A rare break like this needs everything to click, and for one day, it really does.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu afternoon).

Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
4
3
3
4
3
2
2
1
0
2
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.2
SE
9
2.3
SE
10
2.5
SE
11
3
SE
12
3
SE
12
2.4
SE
11
2.1
SE
10
1.9
SE
10
1.6
SE
10
1.6
ESE
10
1.5
ESE
10
0.9
ESE
9
0.9
ESE
9
0.9
ESE
9
0.8
E
10
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
10
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
9
1.6
E
5
1.9
NE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
840
988
1402
2004
2158
1326
934
678
480
500
425
136
156
147
115
87
89
85
81
142
284
Wind (km/h)
25
SSW
25
SSW
20
WSW
20
SSW
25
SSW
10
W
5
SE
10
E
10
NNW
10
NE
15
NE
5
NW
5
SE
10
NNE
10
NNW
25
SSW
35
SSW
25
SSW
0
E
25
NE
20
N
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
High Tide
5:33PM1.96m
5:40AM1.84m
6:02PM1.94m
6:10AM1.79m
6:34PM1.88m
6:42AM1.71m
7:10PM1.78m
7:20AM1.60m
7:53PM1.66m
8:10AM1.47m
8:52PM1.51m
9:31AM1.34m
10:33PM1.41m
Low Tide
11:18AM0.21m
11:41PM0.32m
11:47AM0.23m
00:11AM0.36m
12:17PM0.28m
00:44AM0.43m
12:50PM0.37m
1:21AM0.53m
1:29PM0.50m
2:09AM0.65m
2:21PM0.65m
3:21AM0.77m
3:49PM0.80m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:37
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
5:25
5:25
 mm
4
1
Temp °C
17
18
17
19
20
18
20
20
19
20
21
20
22
22
21
21
21
20
19
20
19
Feels °C
12
13
13
15
16
17
20
19
20
17
18
20
19
21
18
18
17
16
20
19
17
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Vetchs Reef Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Vetchs Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Vetchs Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Vetchs Reef 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 (Vetchs Reef) 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 Vetchs Reef 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.

Are you planning a holiday in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Vetchs Reef, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, consider staying in Durban which is 5 km (3 miles) away. Other places in and around Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Glenwood which is 7 km (4 miles) away, Kwamashu, Umhlanga and Mount Edgecombe.

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