Surf Forecasts:
Vetchs Reef surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SE swell with 497 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period with NE 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Vetchs Reef in the next 16 days are 1.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Vetchs Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s cookin' for Vetchs Reef over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you—this ain't the most promising forecast I've seen. This is a reef break, and it's a rare one that doesn't break often, so when conditions line up, it can be magic. But for most of this run, we're looking at a whole lot of chop and cross-onshore wind messing things up. There’s a big gap of poor conditions right through until the end of July.
The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Thursday the 30th of July, on the morning session. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell rolling in from the SE, and it’s glassy—dead calm, zero wind. That’s the kind of morning you set the alarm for. The combined energy is pumping at 493 (moderate wave energy), and with the reef setup, that long period groundswell from the SE will hold up nicely. The water’s sitting at 73°F, which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
Then, blink and you miss it—Friday the 31st is marginal, and Saturday the 1st of August morning brings another glassy window with the same 5ft SE swell and 412 energy. That's your standout, absolutely. Clean, punchy, proper reef lines. But it fades fast in the arvo.
After that, it gets ugly. From Sunday the 2nd of August right through to the 9th, it’s a write-off with strong NE cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. Swell sizes jump up to 8ft with massive energy readings—over 1500 even—but with those winds, it’s a blown-out mess. That kind of juice might get kitesurfers excited, but for a paddle surfer on a reef that rarely fires, you’d be better off waitin’ for the next glassy window.
So here’s the call: Thursday the 30th July morning and Saturday the 1st August morning are your best shots—go early, go hungry, and enjoy the clean lines while they last. The rest is either junk or for the kite crew. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though; this spot can turn on a dime.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the SSW by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 6 | 307 | 211 | 92 | 202 | 60 | 31 | 41 | 47 | 67 | 110 | 142 | 127 | 408 | 418 | 307 | 247 | 242 | 235 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:52AM1.47m | 2:30PM1.47m | 2:37AM1.57m | 3:06PM1.60m | 3:13AM1.67m | 3:38PM1.73m | 3:44AM1.75m | 4:07PM1.83m | 4:14AM1.81m | 4:36PM1.91m | 4:43AM1.85m | 5:04PM1.95m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:39PM0.81m | 8:16AM0.66m | 8:30PM0.69m | 8:53AM0.54m | 9:09PM0.58m | 9:25AM0.43m | 9:42PM0.47m | 9:54AM0.34m | 10:13PM0.39m | 10:23AM0.27m | 10:43PM0.34m | 10:50AM0.23m | 11:12PM0.31m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | |  | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 539 | 434 | 307 | 211 | 76 | 102 | 60 | 78 | 438 | 269 | 172 | 457 | 443 | 482 | 408 | 418 | 307 | 247 | 242 | 235 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 16 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 |
| kJ | 246 | 163 | 312 | 307 | 115 | 118 | 97 | 86 | 41 | 47 | 67 | 110 | 142 | 127 | 85 | 130 | 115 | 122 | 112 | 85 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 8 | — | S 16 | S 16 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | — | — | E 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 7 | — | 198 | 122 | 10 | 31 | — | — | 67 | 163 | 147 | 127 | 80 | 70 | 115 | 142 | 135 | 44 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNE 2 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 11 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 34 | 92 | 202 | 69 | 151 | 153 | 392 | 748 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 695 | 5 | 2 | 82 | 1 | 802 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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