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Zinkwazi, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Darnall

Watch this spot We email you when Zinkwazi is worth the trip.

About Zinkwazi

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

The spot faces SE (130°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (310°). 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 1.1 km out (1 in 115). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Darnall, 7.1 km away (about 15 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 30 h 35 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. 1 h 10 from the airport to Zinkwazi.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in DarnallAd

    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 Darnall · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Darnall · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Zinkwazi on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Zinkwazi 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 18Oct464 ft7 smushy150kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct254 ft9 ssoft179kJ24°C
Tue 20Oct08 ft8 ssoft763kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct444 ft7 smushy148kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct365 ft9 smushy303kJ25°C
Fri 23Oct224 ft7 smushy170kJ23°C
Sat 24Oct174 ft8 smushy211kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct343 ft8 ssoft152kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct243 ft8 smushy74kJ23°C
Tue 27Oct235 ft7 smushy238kJ24°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 1h 10 by road. About 30h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Zinkwazi

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Zinkwazi

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 7 kn (14 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Zinkwazi

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 12 kn (23 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to DUR, changing at IST, then 1h 10 by road. About 30h 35 door to door

The trip from Darnall, with every spot near it

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.

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
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
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£1,160–£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 Darnall

  • Millers Arms RestaurantAmerican · 0.4 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

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.