KwaZulu-Natal

Best Time for Durban

Warm Indian Ocean year-round, consistent surf, subtropical energy

When to Visit Durban

Hiking: Mar–Sep, Nov. Camping: May–Sep. Beach & Swimming: Year-round (exc. Oct). Learn to Surf: Year-round (exc. Aug). Surfing: May–Sep. Stand-Up Paddleboard: Feb, Apr–Jul. Kayaking: All months. Scuba Diving: All months. Snorkelling: Dec–Mar. Fishing: All months.

Hiking — Month by Month

Scored on: Dry trails, mild–warm temp, low wind

Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov

Scale:ExcellentGoodFairPoorAvoid· key data point shown per cell

Jan

3/5

Fair

12d rain

Feb

3/5

Fair

12d rain

Mar

4/5

Good

11d rain

Apr

4/5

Good

10d rain

May

5/5

Excellent

5d rain

Jun

5/5

Excellent

3d rain

Jul

5/5

Excellent

3d rain

Hols

Aug

5/5

Excellent

6d rain

Sep

4/5

Good

9d rain

Oct

3/5

Fair

12d rain

Nov

4/5

Good

11d rain

Dec

3/5

Fair

15d rain

Hols

Where to go

Umgeni River Bird Park walk
Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve
Krantzkloof NR (day trip)

Best Months per Activity

Months scoring 4/5 or higher. Click a row to explore that activity.

Hiking

Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov

Camping

May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Beach & Swimming

Year-round (exc. Oct)

Learn to Surf

Year-round (exc. Aug)

Surfing

May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Stand-Up Paddleboard

Feb, Apr, May, Jun, Jul

Kayaking

All months

Scuba Diving

All months

Snorkelling

Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec

Fishing

All months

Monthly Weather Averages

5-year averages 2020–2024 (ERA5); wave height 3-year average 2022–2024 (CMEMS)

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain days	Wind (km/h)	Sea (°C)	Wave (m)	School
January	27.8/20.8	12	22.4	25.7	2.3	Term
February	27.9/21.1	12	21.9	26.5	2.4	Term
March	27.4/20	11	22.8	26.3	2.5	Term
April	25.2/17.5	10	21.2	25.1	2.7	Term
May	24.2/15.1	5	19.3	24	2.6	Term
June	22.8/12.4	3	19.2	22.7	2.7	Term
July	22.4/11.6	3	20.6	21.7	2.8	Winter break
August	22.8/12.9	6	23.6	21.3	3.2	Term
September	23.1/15	9	24.2	21.4	2.9	Term
October	23.6/16.6	12	25.2	22	2.9	Term
November	25.2/18.3	11	23.9	23.1	2.6	Term
December	26.7/20.1	15	22.8	24.5	2.4	Summer break

How Scores Are Calculated

Each month receives a score of 1–5 per activity using fixed thresholds on the raw data. No editorial judgement — every score is derived directly from ERA5, NOAA ERSSTv5, and CMEMS figures.

Hiking:Dry trails, mild–warm temp, low wind

Camping:Dry nights, mild temperatures (frost/heat penalty)

Beach & Swimming:Warm air & sea, low wind, low rain

Learn to Surf:Moderate waves (1–2.5 m), warm sea, light wind

Surfing:Swell 1.5–4 m, offshore wind preferred

Stand-Up Paddleboard:Light wind <22 km/h, small waves, warm

Kayaking:Manageable wind & swell, dry, mild

Scuba Diving:Calm seas, warm water (visibility & comfort)

Snorkelling:Calm, clear, warm water

Fishing:Calm seas, manageable wind, cooler water

Data Sources & Attribution

Wind speed, rainfall & air temperature

ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo Archive API. Daily-max 10 m wind speed, total daily precipitation, and 2 m temperature, 2020–2024, averaged to monthly means. License: CC-BY 4.0.

open-meteo.com

Sea surface temperature

NOAA ERSSTv5 (Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature, version 5) accessed via NOAA CoastWatch ERDDAP. Monthly mean SST at nearest 1° grid cell, 2020–2024. NOAA NCEI public domain dataset.

coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap

Significant wave height

CMEMS (Copernicus Marine Service) via Open-Meteo Marine API. Daily-max significant wave height at nearest offshore grid point, 2022–2024 (3-year average; CMEMS model data available from 2022). License: CC-BY 4.0.

marine-api.open-meteo.com

Data last fetched: 2026-06-23

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