Surf spot

New Pier

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

Country: South Africa, Durban
Coordinates: -29.8597, 31.0419

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	1	1	1	0.9	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1.1	1.3	1.2	1.4	1.5	1.1	1.3	1.2	1.4	1.8	2.5	2.2	2	1.8	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.2	1.3	1.8	1.6	2.1	1.8	1.5	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.3	1.2	1.4	1.6	1.5	0.9	2.1	2.8	3.5
Wave direction	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	E	E	E	SSE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ESE	SSE	S	SSE	SSE	E	E	E	E	ESE	SSW	S	SE	SE	SE	SSE	SSE	SSE
Wave period (s)	9.2	9.3	9.1	8.9	8.3	8.5	8.2	8	8	7.8	7.5	6.4	5.3	6	6	9.5	6	6	6.4	7.2	7.3	7.2	7.4	7.1	7.1	7	7	7	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.8	8	8	8.1	8.2	7.2	6.3	6.8	6.1	6.2	7.5	6.6	7.5	7.3	9.3	12.4	9.3	6.8	7.2	8	8.7	9.2	9.1
Wave energy (kJ)	176	171	159	154	120	150	144	132	121	108	87	63	61	83	114	251	145	162	106	168	164	192	355	610	488	402	320	301	295	305	297	284	285	263	255	244	219	204	186	259	246	322	244	237	223	237	230	283	414	317	227	230	112	647	1327	2007
Wind speed (km/h)	1	3.6	5.6	15.9	16.9	13.8	9	5.8	3.4	5.5	3.9	12.2	12.3	9.4	6.2	7.6	8.7	20.6	26.7	33.6	41.9	38.5	22.6	12.4	10.9	9.8	2.2	7.9	14	6.6	2.2	5.5	5.7	4.6	5.6	13.2	13.6	15.5	14.1	16.5	16.6	26.6	27.4	26.1	23	18.9	17.8	17.9	21	20.9	24.5	25.5	30.5	29.7	21	16.1
Wind direction	SEGlassy	NGlassy	NECross-on	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	SECross-on	EOnshore	SSWGlassy	WSWCross-off	SWGlassy	ESEOnshore	ESECross-on	EOnshore	NECross-on	EOnshore	NECross-on	NECross-on	NECross-on	NECross-on	NEBlown out	NEBlown out	NNECross-on	NECross-on	SWCross-off	WOffshore	EGlassy	ESEOnshore	SECross-on	SECross-on	WGlassy	WOffshore	NNWCross-off	NWGlassy	NNECross-on	ENEOnshore	ESEOnshore	SSECross	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off

New Pier (Durban, South Africa) is a well-known urban beach break on Durban’s Golden Mile, right by the city’s central beachfront and surf culture. It’s a popular, accessible spot that can deliver fun, fast waves, especially when the swell lines up from the Indian Ocean.

What it’s like

Wave type: Mostly a beach break with shifting peaks
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, though on smaller days it can be workable for beginners with supervision
Wave shape: Can be peaky, punchy, and sometimes hollow, with quick takeoffs
Consistency: Fairly consistent thanks to Durban’s exposure to swell, but quality depends a lot on sandbanks and wind

Conditions

Best swell: Generally east to southeast swells
Best wind: Light offshore or light land breeze; strong onshore winds can make it messy quickly
Tides: Can work at a range of tides, but the exact best tide depends on the sandbanks and swell size on the day

Hazards / things to know

Crowds: Often busy because it’s central and easy to access
Currents: Like many Durban beach breaks, rips and strong currents can be an issue
Local awareness: It’s an urban spot, so keep an eye on your gear and surroundings
Conditions change: Sand movement can change the break noticeably from week to week

Vibe

New Pier has a classic Durban surf feel: city beachfront energy, lots of regulars, and a mix of surfers, bodyboarders, and beachgoers. It’s not usually a mellow, secluded wave — more of a lively, public surf zone where timing and local knowledge help a lot.