Surf Forecasts:
Vetchs Reef surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, ENE swell with 748 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period with E 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s. 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 2.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Vetchs Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at a long, dry spell for most of the 16-day window. The only spot that even shows a flicker of life is Vetchs Reef, and it’s a tricky one. This place is a reef setup that rarely breaks, so when it does get a pulse, you gotta be on your toes. For the first ten days, it’s pretty much a write-off. We’ve got weak, short-period windswell and messy onshore winds keeping things in the “poor” column.
The only real standout pops up on August 27th, Thursday morning. Now, this is something to pay attention to. The swell energy jumps up into a strong range (300) with a 6 ft swell from the ENE, period of 7 seconds. But the real kicker here is the wind: glassy, dead calm from the SE at only 3 mph. That is a major positive, meaning the surface will be clean as a whistle. This is likely the best chance you’ll get, but keep in mind the period is a bit short so it won’t have that deep groundswell power. For a reef that needs things to line up perfectly, this is a lucky window.
After that, it’s back to frustration. We get a few more days of building swell, but it's all blown out by strong cross-on winds, which will make it lumpy and choppy. Later in the second week, as we head into September 1st, the winds finally swing offshore (cross-off from the SSW), but we’re left with marginal conditions and a moderate breeze. It’s a tease, but nothing we can confidently call a goer.
So, to call it straight: if you’ve got to paddle out, make your move early on Thursday morning, August 27th at Vetchs Reef. It’s a rare moment where the wind is death and the swell is there. Anything outside of that? You’re better off waxing the board at home and waiting for the next proper swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the SSW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 21°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, strong winds from the SSW by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 5 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 698 | 573 | 414 | 241 | 162 | 155 | 115 | 240 | 156 | 34 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 138 | 420 | 47 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross |
High Tide | 6:29PM1.85m | 6:38AM1.67m | 6:58PM1.71m | 7:05AM1.52m | 7:27PM1.56m | 7:37AM1.37m | 8:04PM1.40m | 8:28AM1.22m | 9:28PM1.25m | 12:11PM1.16m | 00:48AM1.27m | 1:47PM1.32m | 1:52AM1.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:15PM0.32m | 00:39AM0.45m | 12:42PM0.46m | 1:08AM0.59m | 1:09PM0.61m | 1:41AM0.74m | 1:39PM0.78m | 2:29AM0.89m | 2:31PM0.94m | 5:06AM0.97m | 6:20PM1.00m | 7:26AM0.86m | 7:49PM0.85m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 17 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SSW 14 | ENE 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 16 | S 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | S 8 | S 9 | S 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 520 | 4 | 414 | 241 | 162 | 155 | 115 | 165 | 156 | 105 | 102 | 1606 | 1298 | 608 | 209 | 47 | 8 | 321 | 215 | 769 | 617 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SW 11 | S 16 | S 18 | SW 16 | S 5 | SSW 15 | — | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | SSW 12 | — | E 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 10 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 84 | — | 103 | 34 | 22 | 21 | 21 | — | 228 | — | 5 | 67 | 163 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 16 | S 9 | — | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSE 5 | — | — | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | E 9 | — | — |
| kJ | 6 | 10 | 2 | — | 5 | 27 | 8 | — | — | 17 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 14 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | E 10 | NNE 5 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 5 | — | ENE 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 8 | S 8 | — | — | ENE 5 | NE 7 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 698 | 573 | 37 | 165 | 94 | 31 | — | 240 | 172 | 730 | 493 | — | — | 138 | 420 | 555 | 890 | 428 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 210 | 137 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 82 | 404 | 285 | 1 | 554 | 554 | 0 | 210 | 739 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 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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