KwaZulu Natal · Today

Ballito

Updated Wed, Sep 23, 1:40 AM GMT+2

When to go

4:00 PM–5:00 PM

Looks good · Low confidence

4.4–4.4 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 2.9 kt · onshore

Forecast details

Light wind should keep the water smoother.

Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

3:00 PM–5:00 PM · Africa/Johannesburg
Light wind · up to 3.9 kt · reported gusts up to 13.6 kt
Offshore waves: 4.4–4.5 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data unavailable.
Wind source time: Sep 23, 1:45 AM GMT+2. This is not the model run issue time.

How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence

Returned marine grid point is 6.6 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
Reference model hour: 0 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
Tide unavailable: assessment incomplete, especially at shallow reef breaks.
A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind NNE 6.1 kt

Tide Unavailable

Wave, wind and tide details

Offshore model swellSSE 3.2 ft @ 11sValid 2026-09-23 02:00 · Africa/JohannesburgMarine grid -29.5417, 31.2917 · offshore model, not a local measurement

Offshore model sea4.3 ft @ 10.2sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-23 02:00 · Africa/Johannesburg

Model windNNE 6.1 ktcross-shoreValid 2026-09-23 02:00 · Africa/Johannesburg3.5 kt offshore component

TideUnavailableunavailableNo verified local tide station connected; no tide height estimated

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Ballito
Time	Wind	Tide	Offshore swell
12 AM	NNE 5.5 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.1 ft @ 11s
1 AM	NNE 6 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.1 ft @ 11s
2 AM	NNE 6.1 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.2 ft @ 11s
3 AM	NNE 6.2 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.3 ft @ 11s
4 AM	NNE 6.1 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.3 ft @ 10s
5 AM	N 5.6 ktoffshore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.4 ft @ 10s
6 AM	N 5.8 ktoffshore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.3 ft @ 10s
7 AM	NNE 5.8 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.3 ft @ 11s
8 AM	NE 5.8 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.2 ft @ 11s
9 AM	NE 6.1 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.2 ft @ 11s
10 AM	ENE 5.7 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.2 ft @ 10s
11 AM	E 6.4 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.2 ft @ 10s
Noon	E 6.6 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.1 ft @ 10s
1 PM	E 6.2 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.1 ft @ 10s
2 PM	E 6.1 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.1 ft @ 10s
3 PM	E 3.9 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.0 ft @ 10s
4 PM	ESE 2.6 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 3.0 ft @ 10s
5 PM	S 2.9 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 2.9 ft @ 10s
6 PM	S 3.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	SE 3.0 ft @ 9s
7 PM	WSW 2.6 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SE 3.1 ft @ 8s
8 PM	W 2.6 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	ESE 3.1 ft @ 8s
9 PM	NW 0.7 ktoffshore	Unavailableunavailable	SE 3.0 ft @ 8s
10 PM	WNW 2.1 ktoffshore	Unavailableunavailable	SE 2.8 ft @ 9s
11 PM	SW 2.8 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSE 2.7 ft @ 9s

12 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 5.5 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.1 ft @ 11s

1 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 6 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.1 ft @ 11s

2 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 6.1 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.2 ft @ 11s

3 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 6.2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.3 ft @ 11s

4 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 6.1 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.3 ft @ 10s

5 AMUnavailable

WindN 5.6 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.4 ft @ 10s

6 AMUnavailable

WindN 5.8 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.3 ft @ 10s

7 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 5.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.3 ft @ 11s

8 AMUnavailable

WindNE 5.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.2 ft @ 11s

9 AMUnavailable

WindNE 6.1 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.2 ft @ 11s

10 AMUnavailable

WindENE 5.7 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.2 ft @ 10s

11 AMUnavailable

WindE 6.4 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.2 ft @ 10s

NoonUnavailable

WindE 6.6 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.1 ft @ 10s

1 PMUnavailable

WindE 6.2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.1 ft @ 10s

2 PMUnavailable

WindE 6.1 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.1 ft @ 10s

3 PMUnavailable

WindE 3.9 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.0 ft @ 10s

4 PMUnavailable

WindESE 2.6 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 3.0 ft @ 10s

5 PMUnavailable

WindS 2.9 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 2.9 ft @ 10s

6 PMUnavailable

WindS 3.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSE 3.0 ft @ 9s

7 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 2.6 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSE 3.1 ft @ 8s

8 PMUnavailable

WindW 2.6 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellESE 3.1 ft @ 8s

9 PMUnavailable

WindNW 0.7 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSE 3.0 ft @ 8s

10 PMUnavailable

WindWNW 2.1 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSE 2.8 ft @ 9s

11 PMUnavailable

WindSW 2.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSE 2.7 ft @ 9s

Tide

Local tide station unavailable

Tide predictions are unavailable for this period.

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Named beach/break area coordinate from published map; not a coastline survey. Published coastline orientation; local wind and surf model remain unvalidated.

Mapped spot coordinate: -29.534, 31.224.

Mainland · Indian Ocean mainland coast (KwaZulu-Natal Dolphin Coast) · Ocean-facing bearing 145° · Location provenance

Model request point: Ballito (-29.534, 31.224). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 2/6 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier B · SOUTH_AFRICA · spot-level model point

South African Weather Service Marine Portal
Official high-resolution waves, winds, hazards, and rip-current products; market adapter or station mapping not connectedUnavailableNo source time
CSIR WaveNet South Africa
Near-real-time measured waves and weather; market adapter or station mapping not connectedUnavailableNo source time
South African Navy Hydrographic Office Tides
Tide predictions; market adapter or station mapping not connectedUnavailableNo source time
WorldTides API
Tide predictions and station lookup; market adapter or station mapping not connectedUnavailableNo source time
Open-Meteo Marine API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 23, 1:45 AM GMT+2
Open-Meteo Weather API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 23, 1:45 AM GMT+2
Surf-Forecast public pages
Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallbackNot applicableNo source time
Surfline public spot pages
Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadataNot applicableNo source time

How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.