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Durban Surf Report

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Live Surf Cam — Durban

Live surf cam at Durban
Cam courtesy Wavescape (Durban Beachfront) · cached Tue 13 Oct 13:00 SAST
SURF RATING
FAIR
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.8 m
SWELL
1.2m @ 7s
WIND
23 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
22.2°C

★★★☆☆

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

Swell: 1.2 m @ 7 s (S)

Wave height: 1.8 m

Wind: 23 km/h S Cross-shore

Sea temp: 22.2 °C · Wetsuit: Shorty / springsuit

Best window today: 14:00–16:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
10% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 Wave type
Beach break (piers)
🧭 Best swell
E groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
W offshore
🏄 Board
Shortboard
📈 Skill
Beginner-friendly on the smaller days
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 S swell at 7s is hitting at an angle
  • 23 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Durban 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 (★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore01:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 3km/h Onshore02:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 8km/h Cross03:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 17km/h Cross04:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 33km/h Cross05:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 32km/h Cross06:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 28km/h Cross07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 23km/h Offshore08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 22km/h Offshore09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 20km/h Cross10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 21km/h Cross11:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 23km/h Cross12:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 23km/h Cross13:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 22km/h Cross14:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 20km/h Cross15:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 23km/h Cross16:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 26km/h Cross17:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 23km/h Cross18:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 21km/h Cross19:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 20km/h Offshore20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 20km/h Offshore21:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 18km/h Offshore22:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 17km/h Offshore23:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 13km/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)
🦶 Bring
Booties for the rocks
☀️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
WedThuFriSatSun0.0m1.0m1.9m01326now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 13 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.9 m 7 s SSE 23 km/h Cross
Wed 14 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 1.3 m 7 s S 15 km/h Onshore
Thu 15 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.3 m 6 s SE 25 km/h Cross
Fri 16 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.6 m 10 s S 18 km/h Onshore
Sat 17 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 1.8 m 5 s E 21 km/h Onshore
Sun 18 Oct ★★★☆☆ 1.5 m 8 s SE 20 km/h Cross
Mon 19 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.0 m 8 s SSE 13 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 18:05 · 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 — Durban

Crayonised aerial map of Durban
North Beach / New Pier
Beach break
Take-off / peakPeak

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 Durban — Surf Local Knowledge

Durban is South Africa's surf capital, its Golden Mile lining the warm Indian Ocean with a run of piered beaches — Bay of Plenty, North Beach, Dairy Beach and the celebrated New Pier among them. The city has a deep surfing heritage, warm water year-round and a lively beachfront culture that keeps the lineups busy from dawn.

These are consistent beach breaks, their sandbanks shaped and held by the many jetties and piers, producing punchy rights and lefts. New Pier is the standout, a quality right-hander that draws the best surfers and hosts competitions, while Bay of Plenty and North Beach offer reliable waves for a broad range of abilities. They work on south to south-east swell with a west offshore. Expect crowds and localism at the premier peaks. The main beaches are protected by shark nets and lifeguards, though avoid low-light sessions.

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