Surf Forecasts:
Vetchs Reef surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, ENE swell with 1,367 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period with ENE 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 2.1m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Vetchs Reef in the next 16 days are 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 17s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
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.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this isn't a good run. For the next week and a half, it's a tough go. The prevailing wind sets up cross-onshore, and that's just gonna mess things up day after day. The first real hope doesn't pop up until Friday the 11th, and even then it's just a flicker.
The early part of the week, from Monday the 7th through Thursday the 10th, is a write-off. Swell sizes bounce around from 2 ft to 8 ft, but it doesn't matter because the wind is constantly cross-onshore, making everything choppy and lumpy. Combined wave energy is low to moderate (values between 82 and 766), but the quality is just poor. This is a reef break, and with that wind direction, it's not going to offer any of the usual protection. The setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during those days.
We get a tiny window on Friday the 11th. A 4 ft swell from the east, with a moderate 9-second period (220 combined energy), and a shift to a cross-offshore wind from the SSW. That's clean. The guidance says the surf is marginal, but that's the best we'll see for a while. It's only a morning thing, though, as the wind goes cross-shore in the afternoon.
After that, it's back to the choppy grind. Saturday the 12th through Sunday the 20th is a long stretch of the same old story: cross-onshore winds and bumpy conditions. There is a moderate 7 ft to 8 ft swell on the 20th and 21st, but the wind only makes it a messy affair. The 21st and 22nd finally see a return to some clean-ish cross-offshore winds, but by then the swell has dropped right off to under 4 ft with combined energy falling into weak territory (values of 140 or so), so there's just not much push.
This is one of those forecasts where you might want to keep your board in the car but your expectations on the beach.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NE by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 10 | E 10 | NE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 118 | 68 | 70 | 128 | 396 | 384 | 359 | 766 | 597 | 428 | 474 | 350 | 220 | 203 | 160 | 127 | 157 | 182 | 576 | 1299 | 982 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 1:37PM1.54m | 1:54AM1.59m | 2:21PM1.75m | 2:35AM1.76m | 2:57PM1.93m | 3:10AM1.90m | 3:29PM2.05m | 3:42AM1.98m | 4:00PM2.12m | 4:13AM2.02m | 4:29PM2.13m | 4:41AM2.00m | 4:56PM2.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:49PM0.65m | 8:04AM0.49m | 8:32PM0.45m | 8:43AM0.32m | 9:07PM0.29m | 9:16AM0.19m | 9:39PM0.19m | 9:48AM0.11m | 10:10PM0.14m | 10:17AM0.09m | 10:38PM0.14m | 10:45AM0.13m | 11:06PM0.19m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 22 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 17 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 5226 | 2824 | 1143 | 411 | 153 | 167 | 123 | 90 | 63 | 42 | 20 | 350 | 220 | 203 | 160 | 127 | 157 | 44 | 33 | 144 | 131 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 16 | SW 15 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 11 | S 10 |
| kJ | 118 | 68 | 48 | 102 | 121 | 58 | 27 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 95 | 78 | 24 | 10 | 25 | 27 | 66 | 23 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 20 | E 10 | — | S 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SE 12 | SSW 11 | SSE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 7 | 30 | — | 5 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 42 | 34 | 30 | 5 | 24 | 7 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 2 | SSW 4 | S 5 | SSW 6 | — | E 3 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | — | 14 | 70 | 128 | 396 | 384 | 359 | 766 | 597 | 428 | 474 | 2 | 18 | 25 | 41 | — | 5 | 182 | 576 | 1299 | 982 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 475 | 695 | 2 | 554 | 739 | 2 | 2 | 237 | 1 | 156 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 423 | 423 | 2 |
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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