
Surf Forecasts:
Warner Beach surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, ENE swell with 1,641 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Warner Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Warner Beach 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 1.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Warner Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Warner Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at Warner Beach for the next 16 days, and I've got to say, it's a tough one to call. The first week is basically a bust, and the whole run is a test of patience.
The problems start immediately. From Tuesday the 8th all the way through the first week, the swell is coming from the ENE, averaging 5 to 7 feet, but the period is pitifully short—7 to 8 seconds. That's wind-driven junk, not real swell. The wind is blowing from the NE at 12 to 19 mph, and it's a cross-shore, just chopping everything up. The wave energy is moderate, hanging around the 400 to 700 range, but it’s all messy, lumpy, and unrideable. Even when the energy spikes to 1131 on Thursday the 10th afternoon, it's still a 8-foot, 8-second mess with a cross-shore breeze. The forecasts call it marginal, and that's a kind word.
We finally see a change in the swell direction around the 19th of September, shifting to the SSE and SE. The periods improve to 9 and 10 seconds, which is a bit better, but the wave heights drop to 5 to 6 feet. The wind is still cross or cross-on, so it never gets truly clean. The energy is moderate, around 600, but it's still not enough to get the heart pumping.
There's one window that stands out, but it's a tricky one. On Monday the 21st of September, the afternoon swell swings to the SSW with a period of 21 seconds. That's a very long-period groundswell, and the combined energy jumps to 1162. The wave height is only 3 feet, but that long period means it'll have some serious push. The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NE, so it's clean. The problem is that Warner Beach is a beach break, and a 21-second swell tends to break fast and straight, making it a challenge. It's a marginal call, but it's the only window in the whole 16 days that looks like it could offer a few clean, if tricky, rides.
The next day, Tuesday the 22nd, the swell is still long-period (17 seconds) but from the south, and the wind picks up to a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, killing any hope. The rest of the run into the 23rd is just more of the same NE windswell junk.
For beginners, this is a no-go. The swells are either too short and messy, or when they get some size, like on the 14th with an 12-foot ENE swell, the wind is a strong 28 mph cross-shore. That's a kite surfer's dream, not a surfer's. The 17th of September morning has a 10-foot southerly swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-on and the forecast says it's simply too big for this break.
Honestly, it's a bleak outlook. The persistent cross-shore winds and the lack of any decent, long-period swell from the right direction just don't line up. The only bright spot is that long-period SSW swell on the 21st, but it's a long way out and a gamble for a beach break. The water temp is 71°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so the water's fine, but the waves just aren't there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun morning, min 18°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the NE by Mon morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
328 | 353 | 273 | 525 | 811 | 439 | 629 | 331 | 235 | 207 | 164 | 127 | 96 | 143 | 207 | 336 | 746 | 568 | 1490 | 1003 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:20PM1.55m | 2:35AM1.58m | 2:57PM1.73m | 3:10AM1.70m | 3:30PM1.87m | 3:42AM1.78m | 4:01PM1.94m | 4:12AM1.81m | 4:30PM1.95m | 4:41AM1.80m | 4:57PM1.90m | 5:07AM1.75m | 5:23PM1.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:29PM0.31m | 8:42AM0.18m | 9:06PM0.16m | 9:15AM0.05m | 9:39PM0.06m | 9:46AM-0.03m | 10:09PM0.01m | 10:15AM-0.06m | 10:37PM0.01m | 10:43AM-0.04m | 11:04PM0.05m | 11:10AM0.03m | 11:30PM0.13m | |||||||
— | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | |
5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 5 | E 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
274 | 164 | 121 | 90 | 541 | 42 | 471 | 331 | 235 | 207 | 164 | 127 | 37 | 143 | 207 | 212 | 463 | 70 | 36 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | S 15 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | S 4 | S 8 | E 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SE 7 | — | SSW 13 |
96 | 57 | 14 | 13 | 62 | 4 | 27 | 11 | 97 | 46 | 6 | 22 | 96 | 64 | 48 | 151 | 130 | 14 | — | 32 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | — | S 16 | SW 17 | E 12 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 20 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 18 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | S 9 | — | — |
6 | — | 5 | 11 | 3 | 21 | 4 | 37 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 29 | 49 | 25 | 104 | 23 | 14 | 7 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 5 | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | NNE 6 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
328 | 353 | 273 | 525 | 811 | 439 | 629 | 2 | 16 | 28 | — | 8 | 78 | 56 | — | 336 | 746 | 568 | 1490 | 1003 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 667 | 190 | 447 | 667 | 27 | 27 | 74 | 28 | 184 | 184 | 0 | 27 | 27 | 8 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 673 | 657 | 375 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Warner Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Warner Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Warner Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Warner Beach 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 (Warner Beach) 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 Warner Beach 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.
Warner Beach is 11 km (7 miles) from Umlazi. If you plan a holiday in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Umlazi. Umlazi has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










