Mtunzini, South Africa
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About Mtunzini
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (145°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (325°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 3.7 km out (1 in 370). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 21°C in August, 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 2 good days in 7; in October, November and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Mtunzini, 0.2 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 22°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 31 h 25 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. 2 h from the airport to Mtunzini.
Accommodation.
Stay in MtunziniAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Mtunzini (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Mtunzini 1 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 19 places to stay · where Mtunzini stays
Places to stay in Mtunzini · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Mtunzini · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Mtunzini · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Mtunzini on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 49, good | 4 ft6 smushy | 92kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 25, poor | 3 ft9 ssoft | 153kJ | offshorewind from the north, 6 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft8 smushy | 821kJ | wind from the south-west, 12 knots | 22°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 52, good | 4 ft7 smushy | 141kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 32°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 40, fair | 4 ft6 smushy | 94kJ | wind from the south-west, 10 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 23, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 254kJ | wind from the south-west, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 33, poor | 4 ft8 smushy | 182kJ | wind from the north-east, 11 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 47, fair | 4 ft8 ssoft | 162kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 32°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 13, too small | 3 ft8 smushy | 76kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 19, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 197kJ | wind from the south, 8 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 2h by road. About 31h 25 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Mtunzini
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Mtunzini
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Mtunzini
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Mtunzini
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 11 kn (21 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to DUR, changing at IST, then 2h by road. About 31h 25 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,160–£2,290 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| 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 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £50–£85 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £110–£185 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £115–£210 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £50–£80 |
| Total | £1,160–£2,290 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Mtunzini
- Prawn ShakSeafood · 0.3 km from the centre
- Maxi's MtunziniTheme · 0.7 km from the centre
- Esibayeni F&S Corner HouseBar and grill · 0.6 km from the centre
- Coconut Island Pub and GrillBar and grill · 0.7 km from the centre
- The Clay OvenIndian · 0.9 km from the centre
- Fairways Restaurant1.3 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.