Vetchs Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 29.86° S 31.05° E

Vetchs Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 01 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Vetchs Reef sea temperature is
22.2° C
0.9° 

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: Sunday 2 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SE swell with 2,416 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 11s period. 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 11AM. 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 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sun 2nd Aug)8ft (2.5m) 11s
Best Surf 2AM (Sun 2nd Aug)8ft (2.5m) 11s
Most Powerful11AM (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. There’s only one spot on the table for the next 16 days, and it’s a tricky one.

We’re looking at Vetchs Reef. This is a reef break that *rarely breaks*, so any wave we get here is a bit of a gift. It’s exposed, and it loves swell from the NE. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing too wild.

The window kicks off on Sunday, August 2nd, and it’s a big one. We’ve got a serious 10ft SE swell rolling in, with a period of 12 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the combined energy is a massive 2416 – that’s a lot of power. The wind is a cross-off from the SSW, so the face should be clean. The problem is, this is a reef, and for most of us, 10ft is expert territory. It’s big, powerful, and a rare break. If you’re not rock-solid, give it a wide berth.

Monday the 3rd drops a bit to 7ft from the SE, period of 11 seconds, still solid energy at 1107. The wind goes cross (S 3 mph), so it’s glassy and clean. A more manageable size, but still solid. The morning session is the pick.

Tuesday the 4th sees the swell dropping to 5ft, but the wind turns cross-on from the NE. The quality starts to fade. By Wednesday the 5th, we’re down to 3ft and the wind is on it. The energy drops to 222, and it’s not looking fun.

From Thursday the 6th through to the end of the first week, it’s grim. The swell drops below 3ft, and even though the wind goes cross-off a few times, the energy is in the double digits. Not worth paddling out.

We hit a dry spell. Nothing worth mentioning from the 8th to the 15th of August. The reef is flat or blown out. The wind is mostly onshore, and the swell is small and weak.

The only glimmer in the second week is on Tuesday, August 11th – morning session. We get a 3ft ENE swell, period 9 seconds, but the wind is cross-off from the SSW. It’s clean, and the energy is 188. It’s small, but it’s the best we’ll see in that stretch. Keep your expectations low.

The rest of the run into the 17th is mostly poor, with onshore winds and weak, short-period swell. The 17th sees a 4ft NE swell with a period of only 4 seconds – that’s windswell, messy and weak.

Standout call: The standout is Sunday the 2nd of August at Vetchs Reef. It’s the biggest, cleanest, and most powerful swell of the entire window. The 10ft SE groundswell with cross-off wind is a rare combo for a rarely-breaking reef. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. If you’re an expert, go get it. The morning will be the cleanest.

Stay safe, and don’t be a hero on that 10ft day if you’re not ready.

- 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 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
3
4
3
2
3
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SE
11
3
SE
12
3
SE
12
2.5
SE
11
2.2
SE
11
1.9
SE
10
1.7
ESE
10
1.6
ESE
10
1.5
ESE
10
1.2
ESE
10
1
ESE
10
1
E
10
0.9
ESE
10
0.8
E
10
0.8
E
10
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
9
0.7
E
9
1.1
NE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1715
2416
2389
1635
1107
754
532
530
427
281
197
184
150
117
120
83
81
81
85
Wind (km/h)
20
WSW
25
SSW
25
SSW
10
W
5
S
10
SE
10
NNW
15
NE
20
NE
10
N
5
ENE
15
NE
10
NW
30
SSW
25
S
20
SSW
10
S
20
NE
20
NNE
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
High Tide
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
11:41PM0.32m
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
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
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
2
Temp °C
17
19
20
18
20
20
18
20
20
19
22
22
21
20
21
20
20
20
19
Feels °C
13
14
16
17
19
19
19
18
18
19
19
19
19
17
18
18
20
20
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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