KZN SOUTH COAST REGION 1
2-DAY WEATHER, MARINE & FISHING OUTLOOK
Coverage: Upper South Coast — Amanzimtoti to Scottburgh.
Representative forecast point: Scottburgh (-30.2869, 30.7042).
Forecast issued: Thursday, 27 August 2026 at 05:00 SAST.
OVERALL OUTLOOK
Thursday: Cool to mild with a high chance of light rain or drizzle. Wind strengthens and the sea is rough, with a large south-easterly swell. This is a poor exposed-shore and small-craft day; only consider sheltered water after checking conditions.
Friday: Warmer and dry, but the swell remains significant and the wind may still produce uncomfortable conditions. Sheltered beaches and protected areas are preferable; exposed rocks require extra caution.
THURSDAY — 27 AUGUST 2026
WEATHER & MARINE
- Temperature: 15.6–20.6°C
- Rain probability: 89% maximum in the current model
- Expected rainfall: approximately 0.6 mm
- Weather: Light rain or drizzle possible
- Wind: Variable, with a northerly component at the representative point; maximum approximately 29 km/h
- Possible gusts: approximately 58 km/h
- Waves: approximately 2.86–3.06 m; period 9.5–13 seconds
- Swell: approximately 2.02–3.04 m, mainly south-southeasterly (around 168°)
Fishing assessment: POOR EXPOSED-SHORE CONDITIONS. The high swell and gusty wind increase the risk around rocks and ledges and will make bait and lure presentation difficult. Avoid exposed rocks and postpone launching unless qualified local operators confirm a safe window.
TIDES — SCOTTBURGH
- High: 03:25 — 5.9 ft / approximately 1.80 m
- Low: 09:31 — 0.9 ft / approximately 0.27 m
- High: 15:43 — 6.4 ft / approximately 1.95 m
- Low: 21:51 — 1.0 ft / approximately 0.30 m
SUN, MOON & SOLUNAR PERIODS
- Sunrise: 06:19 | Sunset: 17:39
- Moonrise: 17:05 | Moonset: 05:49
- Moon phase: Waxing Gibbous (approximately 99% illuminated; full moon on 28 August)
- Major period 1: 10:46–12:46 (opposing lunar transit)
- Major period 2: 22:46–00:46 (lunar transit; continues into Friday)
- Minor period 1: 05:19–06:19 (moonset)
- Minor period 2: 16:35–17:35 (moonrise)
FISHING FOCUS
Shad remain the main target in recent KZN reports, with sardine bait, prawn or lures normally used. However, the predicted swell makes Thursday unsuitable for exposed rock fishing. If conditions are genuinely sheltered, fish only conservative beach positions and monitor the water continuously; kob and garrick remain possible around moving water and structure but should not justify taking risks.
FRIDAY — 28 AUGUST 2026
WEATHER & MARINE
- Temperature: 13.7–24.1°C
- Rain probability: 0% maximum in the current model; expected rainfall 0 mm
- Weather: Partly cloudy
- Wind: Variable, with a light northerly component at the representative point; maximum approximately 22 km/h
- Possible gusts: approximately 46 km/h
- Waves: approximately 2.54–2.82 m; period 8.1–9.5 seconds
- Swell: approximately 1.46–1.98 m, mainly south-easterly (around 126°)
Fishing assessment: FAIR ONLY IN SHELTER. The weather is more favourable, but the residual swell is still large and conditions at exposed points may remain dangerous. Use protected beaches and reassess after daylight; do not assume that a lower wind automatically means a safe sea.
TIDES — SCOTTBURGH
- High: 03:52 — 6.2 ft / approximately 1.89 m
- Low: 09:57 — 0.6 ft / approximately 0.18 m
- High: 16:09 — 6.7 ft / approximately 2.04 m
- Low: 22:18 — 0.7 ft / approximately 0.21 m
SUN, MOON & SOLUNAR PERIODS
- Sunrise: 06:18 | Sunset: 17:40
- Moonrise: 18:04 | Moonset: 06:19
- Moon phase: Full Moon (100% illumination)
- Major period 1: 11:36–13:36 (opposing lunar transit)
- Major period 2: 23:36–01:36 (lunar transit; continues into Saturday)
- Minor period 1: 05:49–06:49 (moonset)
- Minor period 2: 17:34–18:34 (moonrise)
FISHING FOCUS
If local sea conditions allow, target shad around beaches, points and structure on bait or lures, with the moving tide as the practical priority. Kob and garrick are possible around deeper water and river mouths. The full moon and solunar windows can help with planning, but they do not override the swell and shorebreak assessment.
CURRENT PUBLIC FISHING OBSERVATIONS
- South Coast Herald (25 August 2026) reported sardines at Glenmore Beach and Margate Beach on 24 August, followed by two nets at Port Edward on 25 August. This confirms wider South Coast sardine activity, but those locations are outside Region 1.
- A public update recorded in the current regional scan on 25 August reported sardines emerging at Scottburgh and Pennington beaches; a separate 24 August update mentioned a net north of Scottburgh Main Beach near Black Rock. The result of that net was not confirmed in the available public text.
- East Coast Radio / Angler News SA (20 August 2026) reported strong shad action along the KZN coastline, with South Coast and Aliwal Shoal activity including quality garrick, tuna and other gamefish. Its published examples included a 6.5 kg shad from Tweni and shad and blacktail catches on the mid-South Coast.
- East Coast Radio / Coast Watch (21 August 2026) reported heavy angler activity around the annual shad competition, while noting that shad had been avoiding lines during that week. Public reports are therefore not uniformly positive.
- These reports are local indications, not a live catch log or guarantee for every Upper South Coast beach. No verified same-morning, town-specific catch count for Amanzimtoti–Scottburgh was located.
SOURCE LIMITATIONS
Weather and marine values are model guidance from Open-Meteo for the Scottburgh representative point and may differ along the coastline. Wave and swell values are model estimates, not a local buoy reading. Tides are predictions for Scottburgh; Surfline displays the nearby Durban tide port and notes that accuracy varies with distance from the spot. Moon and sun data are astronomical calculations for Scottburgh coordinates. The solunar windows are calculated around the astronomical lunar transit, moonset and moonrise.
Public fishing observations are drawn from recent media and publicly readable social-media reports and published hotspot information. They are not live catch verification, and private or unavailable groups were not accessed. Always check local sea state, rip currents, shorebreak, access and official weather warnings before fishing or launching. Follow current size, bag and seasonal regulations.
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SAFETY & INFORMATION NOTICE
This Fishing Report SA publication provides fishing, marine conditions and weather predictions for planning purposes. It is compiled from multiple publicly available weather and marine data sources. Conditions can change rapidly. It is not an official South African Weather Service warning and must not replace professional weather advice or local safety decisions.
For the full official weather forecast, updates and warnings, visit the South African Weather Service:
https://www.weathersa.co.za/
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