Surfing stays in South Africa
50+ results in South Africa
Two oceans, one long coastline and a swell window that runs from Cape Town to the Mozambique border. The Cape Peninsula has beginner beach breaks at Muizenberg and cold, powerful Atlantic waves at Kommetjie and along the west coast. The Garden Route adds Victoria Bay, Buffalo Bay and Plettenberg Bay. Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape is one of the longest right-hand point breaks in the world, and the Wild Coast beyond it is empty points and river mouths reached on gravel. KwaZulu-Natal, from Durban north, surfs in warm water all year.
The seasons run against the calendar. Winter, from May to August, brings the big Southern Ocean swells that light up Jeffreys Bay and the Cape points, with offshore winds in the mornings. Summer is smaller, warmer and windier, which is the beginners' season at Muizenberg and on the Durban beaches. Water temperature is the other divide: the Atlantic side of the Peninsula is cold enough for a thick wetsuit all year, False Bay and the Garden Route are milder, and the Indian Ocean from the Eastern Cape north is warm.
Stays on this page sit within reach of a break, and many hosts surf themselves. Pair a surf trip with whale watching on the Overberg coast in spring, the penguins of Simon's Town, or one of the sea-rescue stations along the coast that a booking here helps fund.
- When is the best time to surf in South Africa?
- Winter, from May to August, brings the largest and most consistent swells to Jeffreys Bay, the Cape points and the Garden Route, usually with offshore morning winds. Summer is smaller and warmer, better for learners at Muizenberg and on the KwaZulu-Natal beaches. Autumn often has the best balance of size, wind and water temperature.
- Where are the best surf spots?
- Jeffreys Bay for its long right-hand point, Muizenberg for learning, Kommetjie and the west coast for cold Atlantic power, Victoria Bay and Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, the Wild Coast for empty points, and Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal north coast for warm-water beach breaks all year.
- Do I need a wetsuit?
- On the Atlantic side of the Cape, yes, a thick one, in every season. False Bay and the Garden Route are milder but still call for a wetsuit outside high summer. From the Eastern Cape north the Indian Ocean is warm enough for a spring suit or none at all in summer.
- Can I learn to surf on this trip?
- Yes. Muizenberg, Durban and several Garden Route beaches have surf schools with board and wetsuit hire, and gentle beach breaks for a first lesson. Many hosts on this page can book a lesson or point you to the nearest school.