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
Today18
19
Poor
1.2m@10s
20km/h
Wed19
34
Poor
0.9m@10s
13km/h
Thu20
21
Poor
1.9m@9s
20km/h
Fri21
47
Fair
1.9m@14s
14km/h
Sat22
15
Poor
1.3m@10s
15km/h
Sun23
34
Poor
2.9m@12s
11km/h
Mon24
58
Fair
1.6m@13s
6km/h
Tue25
33
Poor
1.5m@16s
14km/h
Wed26
40
Poor
2.1m@13s
13km/h
Thu27
49
Fair
1.9m@13s
13km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 20 km/h · PM 19 km/h · High tide at 6am (1.2m)
Swell
1.2m
E(96°)
Score: 13/25
Period
10s
Medium period swell
Score: 7/25
Wind
20km/h
SSW(202°)
Score: 1/25
Weather
21°C
0.0mm40%
First light 5:56amSunrise 6:26amSunset 5:33pmLast light 6:03pm
Windswell0.7m@3sSecondary0.5mConfidence
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: 5:56–9:21am · droppingStrike window: 2:58–6:03pm · 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
18°
21°
23°
22°
20°
16°
21°
23°
23°
21°
19°
21°
22°
21°
20°
18°
21°
22°
22°
21°
18°
20°
24°
25°
21°
18°
21°
23°
22°
20°
15°
18°
22°
24°
21°
18°
19°
22°
23°
21°
18°
19°
22°
23°
22°
18°
20°
25°
26°
23°
4m2.0
sec
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
swell
windkm/h
20g38
19g42
22g49
23g51
15g34
5g10
7g18
16g37
19g44
13g31
28g64
20g44
25g58
17g45
6g18
12g27
12g27
16g37
16g35
15g30
13g28
15g34
16g35
3g52
27g82
15g33
9g32
13g33
13g35
6g30
5g15
2g13
8g23
7g30
11g33
12g27
11g28
16g40
19g48
12g48
5g12
7g18
14g35
18g45
19g44
12g28
13g27
18g35
13g40
5g41
tidem
6:06am1.2m
12:05pm0.1m
6:25pm1.3m
6:30am1.1m
12:30pm0.3m
7:00pm1.2m
1:12am0.4m
7:03am1.0m
1:12pm0.4m
7:30pm1.0m
1:55am0.5m
8:10am0.8m
2:00pm0.6m
9:10pm0.9m
4:10am0.6m
12:10pm0.9m
6:30pm0.7m
7:00am0.5m
1:30pm1.0m
7:20pm0.5m
1:18am1.0m
7:30am0.3m
1:55pm1.2m
7:57pm0.3m
1:57am1.2m
8:06am0.2m
2:22pm1.3m
8:25pm0.2m
2:30am1.4m
8:33am0.1m
2:50pm1.5m
8:53pm0.1m
2:54am1.5m
9:00am0.0m
3:15pm1.6m
9:18pm0.1m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

6:06 am
High tide - 1.24m
12:05 pm
Low tide - 0.06m
6:25 pm
High tide - 1.27m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

19
Poor
Components
Swell Direction8/25
Swell Size13/25
Swell Period7/25
Wind1/25
Raw Score29/100
Adjustments
🌊💨 Windswell-3
🌊 Tide+3
💨 Gusty Wind-5
⚠️ Weak Component-5
Adjusted Score19/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score19
🌊 Mostly in the 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