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Ballito Surf Report

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SURF RATING
POOR
★★☆☆☆
Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.5 m
SWELL
0.9m @ 6s
WIND
24 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
22.5°C

★★☆☆☆

Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.

Swell: 0.9 m @ 6 s (ESE)

Wave height: 1.5 m

Wind: 24 km/h S Cross-shore

Sea temp: 22.5 °C · Wetsuit: Shorty / springsuit

Best window today: 10:00–12:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
31% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 Wave type
Beach & reef
🧭 Best swell
E groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
W offshore
🏄 Board
Shortboard
📈 Skill
Intermediate–advanced
Ideal wind & swell are derived from the way this coast faces; break type is local knowledge. Match blends today’s swell angle, wind & period.

🌊 Why it’s reading like this right now

Cross-shore windwave direction
  • Short, wind-driven ESE swell at 6s is wrapping into the bank
  • 23 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Ballito surf mission card
Save or screenshot, then send it to your crew on WhatsApp.

🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 4km/h Onshore01:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 1km/h Onshore02:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 5km/h Offshore03:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 12km/h Offshore04:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 27km/h Offshore05:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 31km/h Offshore06:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 29km/h Offshore07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 24km/h Offshore08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 23km/h Offshore09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 21km/h Cross10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 19km/h Cross11:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 21km/h Cross12:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 24km/h Cross13:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 23km/h Cross14:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 23km/h Cross15:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 22km/h Cross16:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 22km/h Cross17:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 20km/h Cross18:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 20km/h Offshore19:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 21km/h Offshore20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 21km/h Offshore21:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 18km/h Offshore22:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 16km/h Offshore23:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 14km/h Offshorenow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ epic   ■ clean   ■ fun   ■ marginal   ■ flat   ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Shortboard
🤿 Wetsuit
Shorty / springsuit
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen (UV very high)
☀️Midday:Warmer but often windier; moderate crowd
Crowd estimate is a comfort/timing proxy from conditions & day of week — not a live crowd count.
Swell & wind
NESW
■ swell in   ■ wind (green=offshore/good)   offshore zone
Spot match
Swell anglePeriodSizeWindSea state
5-day wave & wind forecast
WedThuFriSatSun0.0m0.9m1.7m01429now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 13 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.6 m 6 s SE 24 km/h Cross
Wed 14 Oct ★☆☆☆☆ 1.2 m 7 s E 15 km/h Onshore
Thu 15 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.2 m 5 s E 27 km/h Cross
Fri 16 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.6 m 9 s SSE 17 km/h Onshore
Sat 17 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 1.6 m 5 s E 20 km/h Onshore
Sun 18 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.3 m 7 s E 21 km/h Cross
Mon 19 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.5 m 7 s E 11 km/h Cross

Daily peak wave height, mean swell period & direction, midday wind. Rating is our surf-quality score.

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00H 04:42L 10:43H 16:52L 23:04now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 05:18 · Sunset 18:04 · Peak UV 8

Surfers & anglers get the highest UV dose of anyone. Recommended: SPF 50+, reapply every 2 hours and after every session.

Shop SPF 50+ sunscreen →

Surf/wave: Open-Meteo Marine. Sun/UV/pressure: Open-Meteo. Tides: Stormglass model. Solunar is an approximate guide. Generated Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Ballito

Crayonised aerial map of Ballito
Willard Beach
Thompson's Bay
Peak

Hand-styled from NGI 0.25 m national aerial. Markers show the peak, channel & hazards — indicative local knowledge, not live conditions or navigation advice; tides, banks, rips & hazards change, so use your own eyes on the day.

About Ballito — Surf Local Knowledge

Ballito is the main hub of the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, a fast-growing resort town about forty minutes north of Durban, known for its warm water, dune forest and a string of small beaches linked by a coastal path. Willard Beach is the busy central bathing beach, with Salmon Bay, Thompson's Bay and other tidal-pool coves nearby.

The surf is beach-break, with banks scattered along the town's beaches producing rights and lefts that suit beginners and intermediates, and firing harder on a good swell. It works on south to south-east swell with a west offshore, and the water is warm throughout the year. The main beaches are managed with lifeguards and shark nets, which are lifted for the winter sardine run. Expect crowds at Willard in season; watch for rocks around the coves and rips near the river mouths.

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