Beach
both
Level 4/10

Bay of Plenty

Durban, South Africa
🦈Sharks👥Crowded

Bay of Plenty is Durban's friendly surf cornerstone—a reliable beach break on the famous Golden Mile where generations of South African surfers have learned their craft. Protected by shark nets and patrolled by lifeguards, this is one of Africa's most accessible surf spots, producing consistent peaks that work for all skill levels. The warm Agulhas Current keeps water temperatures pleasant year-round, while the Durban beachfront culture adds energy to every session. This is where South African surf heritage meets modern beach culture.

10-Day Forecast
Today5
51
Fair
1.2m@10s
7km/h
Thu6
34
Poor
0.9m@11s
16km/h
Fri7
40
Poor
1.1m@13s
8km/h
Sat8
22
Poor
0.8m@13s
16km/h
Sun9
13
Poor
1.0m@10s
23km/h
Mon10
9
Poor
2.6m@10s
30km/h
Tue11
30
Poor
2.5m@11s
11km/h
Wed12
23
Poor
2.6m@10s
17km/h
Thu13
16
Poor
2.3m@9s
27km/h
Fri14
29
Poor
2.1m@14s
17km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 3 km/h · PM 10 km/h · High tide at 6am (1.6m)
Swell
1.2m
ESE(112°)
Score: 13/25
Period
10s
Medium period swell
Score: 7/25
Wind
7km/h
ENE(57°)
Score: 15/25
Weather
21°C
0.0mm0%
First light 6:08amSunrise 6:38amSunset 5:25pmLast light 5:55pm
Secondary0.6mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 6:08am–12:24pm · through highStrike window: 1:20–5:55pm · risingIdeal tide: 0.6–1.8m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
13°
19°
24°
24°
21°
16°
22°
25°
23°
22°
16°
21°
24°
23°
21°
15°
20°
25°
25°
23°
18°
21°
23°
21°
20°
12°
13°
13°
14°
14°
13°
15°
17°
17°
16°
16°
17°
19°
20°
19°
18°
20°
21°
22°
21°
17°
18°
21°
22°
22°
4m2.0
sec
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
swell
windkm/h
4g10
1g13
7g23
11g29
8g18
7g14
6g17
24g58
26g61
17g43
8g16
6g18
9g26
11g33
2g15
9g17
11g27
18g41
20g43
19g39
15g32
14g33
20g46
33g73
33g73
31g67
32g68
31g70
29g66
28g64
22g46
11g36
3g30
10g26
10g28
7g17
10g23
19g41
24g53
23g55
23g46
24g51
28g59
30g64
31g66
13g40
12g34
18g41
21g47
20g48
tidem
12:52am0.5m
6:53am1.6m
12:51pm0.6m
7:20pm1.7m
1:35am0.7m
7:42am1.5m
1:46pm0.7m
8:16pm1.5m
2:45am0.8m
8:55am1.3m
3:04pm0.8m
10:00pm1.4m
4:42am0.9m
11:30am1.4m
5:30pm0.9m
6:38am0.8m
1:06pm1.6m
7:12pm0.8m
1:25am1.7m
7:45am0.7m
1:58pm1.8m
8:08pm0.6m
2:15am1.8m
8:26am0.4m
2:42pm1.9m
8:53pm0.3m
2:57am1.9m
9:05am0.2m
3:19pm2.0m
9:32pm0.2m
3:35am1.9m
9:40am0.0m
3:58pm2.0m
10:05pm0.1m
4:09am1.9m
10:12am0.0m
4:32pm2.1m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

12:52 am
Low tide - 0.54m
6:53 am
High tide - 1.61m
12:51 pm
Low tide - 0.57m
7:20 pm
High tide - 1.73m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

51
Fair
Components
Swell Direction14/25
Swell Size13/25
Swell Period7/25
Wind15/25
Raw Score49/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+5
💨 Gusty Wind-3
Adjusted Score51/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score51
🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to DUR, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SE (130°)
Direction range
90° - 145°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.9m
Height multiplier
0.90×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
WNW (290°)
Offshore range
250° - 330°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid to high
Optimal range
0.6m - 1.8m

Water temp

22°C

Wetsuit

Springsuit / 2mm

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

6/10

Access: 20min from King Shaka International. Golden Mile beachfront.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Bay of Plenty?

Bay of Plenty works best on a mid to high tide, ideally between 0.6m and 1.8m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Bay of Plenty?

Offshore wind at Bay of Plenty blows from the WNW (290°). Anything in the 250° to 330° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Bay of Plenty?

Bay of Plenty wants SE swell (90° to 145°) between 0.6m and 2.5m, with a period of 14s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Bay of Plenty?

The main season at Bay of Plenty is Mar-Sep. A secondary window runs Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Best autumn-winter. SSE groundswell season.

How do I get to Bay of Plenty?

Fly into DUR, then allow about 20 minutes by road. 20min from King Shaka International. Golden Mile beachfront.

What kind of wave is Bay of Plenty?

Bay of Plenty is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 4/10.

Best Season

Peak: Mar-Sep

Secondary: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb

Best autumn-winter. SSE groundswell season.

Getting There

Airport
DUR
Drive time
20 min
Data quality
verified

🤙 Strike Specialist

The Strike Specialist in South Africa is Llewellyn Whittaker. Get in touch with them for the best chance of scoring the best waves in South Africa — and don't forget to tell 'em Barrel D sent ya. He also offers high-level surf coaching, so you can level up while you strike.

Strike Log

Community Discussion