La Mercy, South Africa
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Umhlanga, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Watch this spot We email you when La Mercy is worth the trip.
About La Mercy
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (117°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (297°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 32). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 21°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June and July, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Umhlanga, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 22°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 29 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to King Shaka International Airport (DUR), changing at İstanbul Airport (IST).
See flights ORD → DUR · Skyscanner from about £800 returnAdGetting there. 25 min from the airport to La Mercy.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Umhlanga, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in La Mercy · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in La Mercy · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
La Mercy on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 33, poor | 3 ft5 smushy | 38kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 18, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 83kJ | wind from the south, 8 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 9, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 236kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 34, poor | 3 ft7 smushy | 95kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 29, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 66kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 31, poor | 3 ft8 smushy | 121kJ | wind from the south-west, 12 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 20, poor | 4 ft7 smushy | 183kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 30, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 70kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 16, too small | 2 ft10 smushy | 79kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 19, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 200kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 22°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to DUR, changing at IST, then 25 min by road. About 29h 50 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf La Mercy
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf La Mercy
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, wind 8 kn (14 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf La Mercy
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf La Mercy
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 12 kn (22 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf La Mercy
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 8 kn (16 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to DUR, changing at IST, then 25 min by road. About 29h 50 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,015–£2,045 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to DUR, estimated from distance and season, changing at IST, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £800–£1,665 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £115–£210 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £50–£80 |
| Total | £1,015–£2,045 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.