Surf spot

North Beach

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

Country: South Africa, Durban
Coordinates: -29.8442, 31.0307

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	1.1	1.1	1	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	1	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.3	1	1.2	1.3	1.6	1.9	2	2.2	2	1.8	1.7	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.4	1.7	1.6	1.6	2	1.6	1.8	1.4	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.8	1.7	1.8	2.3
Wave direction	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	SSE	ESE	E	E	E	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ESE	S	S	S	S	S	SSE	S	ESE	ESE	S	ESE	SSE	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE
Wave period (s)	9.6	9.7	9.6	9.3	8.4	8.8	8.4	8.1	8.3	7.8	7.3	7	11.4	9.6	5.9	5.8	5.9	6	6.4	7.7	7.3	7	7.2	7.3	7.3	7	6.9	7	7.1	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.7	7.7	7.8	7	6.4	6.8	7.3	6.5	7.2	6.4	6.8	7.5	7.4	9.2	6.6	6.8	6.4	6	6.1	6.8	7.1
Wave energy (kJ)	229	245	221	192	143	172	159	142	118	111	81	68	176	199	94	105	94	99	147	109	159	163	279	385	435	451	381	325	285	279	270	270	250	243	223	210	200	190	195	237	227	270	325	262	271	169	143	142	244	166	184	170	223	225	291	552
Wind speed (km/h)	3.2	0.4	2.6	11.3	18	15.3	5.4	6.3	5.8	1.9	2.5	13.9	15.8	16.3	14.8	12.5	16.4	11.8	17	31.2	41.5	39.2	29.8	25.9	6.2	4.7	5.4	7.6	11.3	6.5	2.5	5	6.8	7.2	2.5	11.5	15.8	20.6	13.5	13	9.4	5.5	10.4	31.7	25.8	23.6	19.2	15.1	7.2	6.9	3.6	4.5	3.3	2.6	12.3	9.1
Wind direction	EGlassy	EGlassy	NEGlassy	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ENECross-on	ENEOnshore	WNWGlassy	EGlassy	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	NECross-on	NECross-on	NECross-on	NNECross-on	NECross-on	NEBlown out	NEBlown out	NECross-on	NECross-on	NCross	NNEGlassy	SWCross-off	EOnshore	SECross-on	NNECross-on	SGlassy	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WGlassy	ESECross-on	SSECross-on	SCross	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWGlassy	ESEGlassy	SEGlassy	SEGlassy	SWCross-off	ESEOnshore

North Beach, Durban, South Africa

North Beach is one of Durban’s best-known urban surf spots, sitting along the famous Golden Mile. It’s a lively, easily accessible beach break that can produce fun, workable waves for surfers of different levels, especially when the swell is up.

Wave type

Beach break
Generally sand-bottom
Waves can be fast and punchy, with occasional longer-running sections depending on sandbanks

Best conditions

Works best with swell from the southeast to east
Usually prefers light offshore winds from the west/northwest
Can handle a range of tides, but sand movement means conditions can change often

Surf level

Beginner to intermediate on smaller, cleaner days
Can become more powerful and challenging on bigger swells or when the banks line up well

Crowd and atmosphere

Because it’s central and popular, it can get crowded, especially on good days
The area has a busy city-beach vibe, with lots of people, lifeguards, and nearby amenities

Hazards and notes

Watch for strong currents, especially when the surf is bigger
The spot can change quickly due to shifting sandbanks
As with many urban beaches, it’s best to surf with awareness of local conditions and water safety guidance

Overall

North Beach is a classic Durban surf spot: convenient, lively, and capable of delivering fun beachbreak waves when the swell and wind line up.