Sunkist, South Africa
Also within 20 km of Durban
- Durban Kite spot · 1 km from Durban
- Dairy Beach Surf spot · 3 km from Durban
- South Beach Surf spot · 3 km from Durban
- New Pier Surf spot · 3.1 km from Durban
- North Beach Durban Surf spot · 3.1 km from Durban
- Wedge Surf spot · 3.1 km from Durban
- Bay of Plenty Surf spot · 3.2 km from Durban
- Snake park Surf spot · 3.4 km from Durban
Watch this spot We email you when Sunkist is worth the trip.

About Sunkist
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces E (89°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (269°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 133). 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 month is usually June, with about 3 good days in 7; in October and November, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Durban, 4.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 13 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
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 30 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. ORD to King Shaka International Airport (DUR), changing at IST.
See flights ORD → DUR · Skyscanner from about £800 returnAdGetting there. 45 min from the airport to Sunkist.
Accommodation.
Stay in DurbanAd
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 Durban (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Durban 8 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 113 places to stay · where Sunkist stays
Places to stay in Durban · Booking.com AdUmhlanga Rocks 21 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 137 places to stay
Places to stay in Umhlanga Rocks · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Durban · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Durban · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Sunkist 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 | 43, fair | 4 ft7 smushy | 137kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 21, poor | 3 ft9 ssoft | 159kJ | wind from the south, 9 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushy | 620kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 11 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 38, fair | 3 ft8 smushy | 113kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 33, poor | 4 ft9 smushy | 217kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 10 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 32, poor | 4 ft8 ssoft | 211kJ | wind from the south-west, 11 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 18, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 229kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 34, poor | 4 ft5 smushy | 76kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 20, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 57kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 12 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 20, poor | 5 ft6 smushy | 150kJ | wind from the south, 12 knots | 21°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 45 min by road. About 30h 10 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Treasure Beach
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 6 kn (12 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Vetchies Reef
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Battery Beach
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Treasure Beach
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to DUR, changing at IST, then 45 min by road. About 30h 10 door to door
The plan picks the best of 25 spots near Durban each day: Ansteys, Ansteys Beach, Battery Beach, Bay of Plenty, Blue Lagoon, Brighton - Bluff, Brighton Reef, Cave Banks, Crossways, Dairy Beach, Garvies, New Pier, North Beach Durban, Oasis, River Mouth, Sharks Alley - Reef, Sharks Alley Sand Bar, Snake park, South Beach, Sunkist, Tekweni Beach, Tidal Pool, Treasure Beach, Vetchies Reef, Wedge.
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 Durban
- KFC Warwick TriangleChicken · 0.5 km from the centre
- KFC Berea StationChicken · 0.6 km from the centre
- John Dory'sSeafood · 0.8 km from the centre
- Zack's On Wilson's WharfSeafood · 0.8 km from the centre
- Debonairs PizzaPizza · 0.9 km from the centre
- Debonairs Pizza Berea CentrePizza · 0.9 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.