Kwazulu Natal – South
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Positives
- Very consistent swells
- Offshore every morning in winter
- Hollow punchy right points
- Uncrowded, warm water
- Friendly guesthouses, Durban proximity
Negatives
- Blown-out most afternoons
- Sharks, un-netted beaches
- Almost straight coastline
- Some localism
Kwazulu Natal – South surf travel guide
The huge province of Kwazulu Natal is split by Durban and the “South Coast” is well known as a sunny holiday playground, but also happens to be one of the world’s most underrated surf zones. There are high quality, consistent waves everywhere, including hollow beachbreaks, heaps of righthand points and a few classic reefbreaks. The continental shelf drops away sharply, so catching the plentiful, year-round, open ocean swells is easier, attracting a variety of wave riders to this sub-tropical warm water zone.
Surf spots in Kwazulu Natal – South
Research the 15 surf breaks in Kwazulu Natal – South and discover what spots suit the current conditions.
Break lowdown
We’ve collated the wave data giving you a unique insight into the 15 breaks in Kwazulu Natal – South.
When to go
Surf and weather statistics to help plan your surf trip to Kwazulu Natal – South
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- dec
Travel Information
General
- Current Time
- Tourists
- 10,472,000
- Population
- 59,308,690
- Tourist Info
- Tourist Info
Security
Health
Money
- Currency
- ZAR
- Exchange rate
- $1 = 7.24 ZAR ZAR
Cost of living
Communication
- Dialing in
- +27
- Dialing out
- 09
- Emergencies
- 112
- Language
- Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venḓa, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans and English are all official languages. Plus there are many other non official languages.
Electricity
- Plug Type
- dmn
Visas
Currently nearly every country in the world can go to South Africa without needing a visa but always check the latest news to be sure
Getting There
South Africa is not an international travel hub so flying there is not very cheap, except from London, which can have some bargain priced tickets. Most of the 50+ airlines fly to Johannesburg. Straight flights to Cape Town are easy to come by but more expensive. South African Airways board tax is $90! Driving from Johannesburg to J-Bay takes 13hrs. KWAZULU NATAL No visa. Johannesburg (JNB) gets direct flights from Sao Paulo, Miami, New York, London (overnight), Frankfurt, Dubai, Singapore and Perth. Fly then Durban (DUR) which cost $100 r/t. South African Airways, South African Express and Airlink fly between all the major cities. Kulula.com, 1time and Mango offer cut-price flights. Eastern Cape No visa. South Africa is remote but with direct flights from Sao Paulo, Miami, New York, London, Frankfurt, Dubai, Singapore and Perth. Most airlines hit Johannesburg (JNB). Daily flight to East London (ELS) costs $120-150 r/t. East London is 1037km (645mi) from Cape Town, 658km (409mi) from Durban, 294 (183mi) from Port Elizabeth and 961km (597mi) from Jo’berg.
Getting Around
Cape Peninsula The road network is excellent and a rental car can be a smart move: expect to pay $150/w, gas is cheap (50c/l). Consider buying a car if you spend more than a couple of months travelling around the country. J-Bay is an 8-hour drive. Traffic keeps to the left. Durban Local transport is reliable and the road network is excellent. Rental cars are cheap and ensure you’ll get more waves. Expect to pay $150/w - fuel is cheap (50c/l). Kwazulu Natal Rent a car at Southafricar and pay $225/wk. Durban Airport is 20min from Amanzimtoti and 170km (106mi) to Port Edward. Driving along the N2 freeway/toll road up to Ramsgate then use R102 aka Marine Drive to Port Edward. High season is late-March/April and Dec-Jan holidays. Eastern Cape The road network is very good and long drives are the only way to get around. Expect $32/day car hire (National). Transkei can be a bit sketchy to cross; only drive during daytime. It takes 4-5h drive from J-Bay. Access to most of the spots is easy, just don’t paddle across rivermouths when they run out to sea. Seaside resorts are only busy during summer.
Accommodation
Mantis & Moon in Umzumbe has dorms or treehouses ($25-48/dbl) or Southbroom Backpackers ($35-40/dbl) and Vulamenzi Lodge ($35-55). Expect $5 for a good meal. Good, cheap seafood.
Activities
Dive Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks and do tiger shark diving to see the beasts! Check the wildlife at Hluhluwe ‘Big-5’ Game Park. Plenty of bars and nightclubs in high season.
Hazards & hassles
Most of the beaches have shark nets but Natal Shark Board remove them during the June-August sardine runs. No attacks recorded for the last 15 years. Car thievery is a problem, crowds are fairly low outside high season, but tight-knit locals can be protective at some spots.
Handy Hints
No need for a gun, but take boards that can deal with barrelling point waves.
Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.