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Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa

Stay in Umhlanga Rocks: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Umhlanga Rocks

All 20 on Umhlanga Rocks's map

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About Umhlanga Rocks

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (111°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (291°). 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 gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 50). 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 Umhlanga Rocks, 0.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 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.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 30 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. 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 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 35 min from the airport to Umhlanga Rocks.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Umhlanga RocksAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Umhlanga Rocks · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Umhlanga Rocks · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Umhlanga Rocks on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Umhlanga Rocks does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct484 ft7 smushy137kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct203 ft9 smushy159kJ25°C
Tue 20Oct07 ft8 smushy620kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct434 ft7 smushy131kJ24°C
Thu 22Oct353 ft7 smushy100kJ23°C
Fri 23Oct324 ft8 ssoft211kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct245 ft7 smushy229kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct393 ft8 ssoft145kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct162 ft8 smushy57kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct195 ft6 smushy186kJ21°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to DUR, changing at IST, then 35 min by road. About 30h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Bronze Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Umhlanga Rocks

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Bronze Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Peace Cottage

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to DUR, changing at IST, then 35 min by road. About 30h door to door

The plan picks the best of 6 spots near Umhlanga Rocks each day: Breakers, Bronze Beach, Geteway Wavehouse, Peace Cottage, Umhlanga Main Beach, Umhlanga Rocks.

The trip from Umhlanga Rocks, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,130–£2,240 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to DUR, estimated from distance and season, changing at IST, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£800–£1,665
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£20–£35
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,130–£2,240

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Umhlanga Rocks

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

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.