Surf Forecasts:
Vetchs Reef surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, E swell with 655 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s. 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 1.9m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 14s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Vetchs Reef over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Vetchs Reef.
To be straight with you, the next week and a half is mostly a write-off. This is a reef setup that rarely breaks, and for the first ten days or so, conditions are just not playing ball. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf and messy wind, so you’re better off finding something else to do until the tail end of the period.
The only real window of hope shapes up on Saturday the 25th of July. The morning session is the standout. We’re looking at a clean 6ft to 7ft swell from the NE, with light offshore winds from the SW. That’s the kind of recipe that gets the heart rate up. The combined swell energy is pushing 680, which is solid, and the period is a punchy 8 seconds. This is a reef break, so it handles that longer-period energy well. The water temp is running about normal for this time of year at 72°, so a spring suit is fine. Keep in mind this spot is for advanced surfers only and rarely breaks, so when it does, it’s a special one. Crowds are sometimes around, so expect a few other keen locals.
Before that, it’s grim. The first few days offer tiny, weak swell with poor wind – nothing worth paddling for. The middle of the week has some marginal surf with light cross-on winds, but the quality is poor. Thursday the 24th of July shows clean conditions but only small 3ft to 4ft swell, so it’s not worth the drive.
In short, save your energy for that Saturday the 25th morning. It’s the only real shot, and it’s a good one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 5 | ESE 5 | E 6 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 27 | 36 | 54 | 318 | 292 | 216 | 406 | 626 | 602 | 653 | 575 | 520 | 449 | 392 | 426 | 271 | 230 | 194 | 216 | 295 | 373 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:23PM1.66m | 2:41AM1.77m | 3:15PM1.80m | 3:30AM1.86m | 4:01PM1.92m | 4:14AM1.92m | 4:43PM1.98m | 4:55AM1.93m | 5:23PM2.00m | 5:34AM1.89m | 6:01PM1.96m | 6:11AM1.82m | 6:38PM1.88m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:08AM0.46m | 8:29PM0.48m | 8:59AM0.33m | 9:22PM0.37m | 9:45AM0.22m | 10:08PM0.29m | 10:27AM0.16m | 10:51PM0.26m | 11:06AM0.15m | 11:31PM0.27m | 11:44AM0.18m | 00:10AM0.32m | 12:21PM0.26m | 00:48AM0.41m | |||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — |
mm | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 9 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | S 8 | ESE 8 | S 11 | E 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 16 | S 13 | S 11 | S 16 |
| kJ | 668 | 472 | 115 | 318 | 157 | 216 | 406 | 626 | 602 | 653 | 575 | 520 | 449 | 392 | 426 | 271 | 230 | 527 | 1138 | 371 | 1913 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | ESE 5 | E 6 | S 11 | S 14 | SE 9 | E 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSE 11 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 15 | NE 6 | SSW 17 | E 10 | E 10 | S 16 | — |
| kJ | 27 | 36 | 54 | 160 | 33 | 77 | 150 | 34 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 84 | 45 | 29 | 194 | 216 | 605 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 12 | S 14 | SE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | — | S 12 | SE 11 | SSW 9 | SSE 10 | SSW 8 | SSE 11 | — | NE 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 13 | 13 | 140 | 62 | 5 | 110 | 54 | 8 | — | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 11 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 8 | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 6 | SSW 4 | SSW 7 | S 7 | — | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 292 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 115 | 40 | 308 | 168 | — | 295 | 373 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 156 | 780 | 1 | 887 | 2 | 155 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Vetchs Reef surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest