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Ballito Surf Report

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SURF RATING
FLAT
★☆☆☆☆
Poor: waist-to-chest-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.
WAVE
1.1 m
SWELL
0.7m @ 7s
WIND
11 km/h Onshore
WATER
23.0°C

★☆☆☆☆

Poor: waist-to-chest-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.

Swell: 0.7 m @ 7 s (SE)

Wave height: 1.1 m

Wind: 11 km/h E Onshore

Sea temp: 23.0 °C · Wetsuit: Boardshorts or rashvest

Best window today: 18:00–20:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
30% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 Wave type
Beach & reef
🧭 Best swell
E groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
W offshore
🏄 Board
Fish or groveller
📈 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

Onshore windwave direction
  • Short, wind-driven SE swell at 7s is wrapping into the bank
  • 10 km/h onshore wind is adding chop
  • 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 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 17km/h Offshore01:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 16km/h Offshore02:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 15km/h Offshore03:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.2m waist-chest · 13km/h Offshore04:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.2m waist-chest · 11km/h Offshore05:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.2m waist-chest · 11km/h Offshore06:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.2m waist-chest · 11km/h Offshore07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 11km/h Offshore08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 14km/h Offshore09:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 12km/h Cross10:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 10km/h Cross11:00 — Flat / blown out (★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 10km/h Onshore12:00 — Flat / blown out (★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 11km/h Onshore13:00 — Flat / blown out (★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 12km/h Onshore14:00 — Flat / blown out (★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 12km/h Onshore15:00 — Flat / blown out (★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 11km/h Onshore16:00 — Flat / blown out (★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 9km/h Onshore17:00 — Flat / blown out (★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 9km/h Onshore18:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 7km/h Cross19:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 4km/h Cross20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 5km/h Offshore21:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 8km/h Offshore22:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.1m waist-chest · 8km/h Offshore23:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.2m waist-chest · 7km/h Offshorenow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ epic   ■ clean   ■ fun   ■ marginal   ■ flat   ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Fish or groveller
🤿 Wetsuit
Boardshorts or rashvest
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
☀️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
TueWedThuFriSat0.0m0.9m1.8m01835now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Mon 2 Nov ★☆☆☆☆ 1.2 m 7 s ESE 11 km/h Onshore
Tue 3 Nov ★★☆☆☆ 1.6 m 5 s SE 16 km/h Onshore
Wed 4 Nov ★★★☆☆ 1.3 m 5 s E 11 km/h Cross
Thu 5 Nov ★★☆☆☆ 1.8 m 7 s E 26 km/h Onshore
Fri 6 Nov ★★☆☆☆ 1.7 m 6 s SSE 11 km/h Onshore
Sat 7 Nov ★☆☆☆☆ 1.1 m 8 s S 14 km/h Onshore
Sun 8 Nov ★★★☆☆ 2.5 m 7 s SSE 30 km/h Offshore

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

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00L 02:38H 09:47L 16:14H 22:27now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 04:58 · Sunset 18:18 · Peak UV 7

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 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:13 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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