Surf spot

Cave Rock

Forecast conditions and map view for Cave Rock in South Africa, Durban. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: South Africa, Durban
Coordinates: -29.9340, 31.0141

Metric
Metric	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00
Wave height (m)	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	1	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.4	1.8	2.2	2.4	2.6	2.4	2.2	2	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.8	1.8	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.6	1.6	1.7	2	1.7	1.9	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.2	1.7	1.8	2	1.9	2	2.1	2.7
Wave direction	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	S	ESE	SE	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	SSE	S	S	S	S	S	SSE	E	E	E	SE	SE	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE
Wave period (s)	9.8	9.8	9.6	9.5	9.1	8.8	8.6	8.1	8	8	7.5	7	13.8	13.1	7.5	7.4	7.5	7.4	7.5	6.7	7.2	7.3	7.2	7.2	7.2	6.7	6.7	6.8	6.9	7	7.1	7.1	7	7	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.7	7	7.2	7.3	7.5	6.8	7.3	6.4	7.5	7.3	7	7.7	6.9	6.6	6.2	6.3	6.3	6.9	7.2
Wave energy (kJ)	302	308	283	235	223	211	186	140	133	132	108	81	306	327	162	152	160	163	162	136	159	197	343	484	599	607	500	431	366	351	356	356	327	308	276	256	243	232	195	255	280	341	379	301	290	202	200	223	182	262	270	314	297	323	428	756
Wind speed (km/h)	4.4	0.5	0.7	11.6	17.3	14.2	7.2	7.9	9	2.5	3.9	13.3	15.8	17	15.7	17.1	20.1	19.5	23.9	34.5	42.3	39.3	37.2	32.6	10.9	6.7	5.8	6.9	4.6	7	2.6	3.9	4.4	3.6	2.3	10.6	16.3	20.9	13	12.7	10.5	9.8	16.6	32.7	30	26.4	18.3	15	9.7	9.4	5.9	5.5	2.5	2.3	4.8	23.4
Wind direction	SEGlassy	SWGlassy	NGlassy	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	NECross	NECross	NGlassy	ENEGlassy	ESECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross	NECross	NECross	NECross	NECross	NNECross	NECross	NEBlown out	NEBlown out	NEBlown out	NECross	NCross-off	NECross	WSWCross-off	ECross-on	ENEGlassy	NWOffshore	SEGlassy	WNWGlassy	NWGlassy	NWGlassy	SEGlassy	SEOnshore	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SWCross	SWCross	SWCross	SSWCross-on	SWCross	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross	SWCross	SWCross	SWCross	SWCross	SSEOnshore	SGlassy	SEGlassy	SSWGlassy	ESEOnshore

Cave Rock, Durban, South Africa is a fast, powerful, hollow right-hand reef break on Durban’s coastline, known for delivering punchy waves when the swell and tide line up. It’s a serious wave rather than a mellow longboard spot, with takeoffs that can be abrupt and sections that can race down the reef.

What it’s like

Wave type: Reef break, predominantly right-hand
Power: Strong and hollow, with a steep takeoff
Best for: Experienced surfers comfortable with reef breaks and faster waves
Crowd: Can be competitive when it’s working
Hazards: Shallow reef, strong currents, and heavy surf at size

Conditions

Cave Rock generally works best with: - Solid south to southeast swell - Moderate to light offshore winds - Tide-sensitive conditions — the wrong tide can make it either too shallow or less organized

Vibe

It has a reputation as one of Durban’s more serious, performance-oriented surf spots, often producing short, intense rides with barrel potential on the right day.

Good to know

Because of the reef and power of the wave, it’s better suited to surfers who are confident in: - quick pop-ups - reef navigation - taking off late and committing to steep drops