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uMdloti
KwaZulu-Natal · Durban · eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality · uMdloti / eMdloti
also known as Umdloti Beach, eMdloti, Mdloti Lagoon, La Mercy Lagoon
Riding essentials
Season
Aug–Apr
Months riders and schools name
How windy
10-25 kt
Character: mixed
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
25–27 °C in summer
Hazards
13
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Dec Jan Apr
Schools
4
named at this spot
From the airport
Shaka International Airport (DUR)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
The NE builds through the day, picking up in the late morning and running hardest through the afternoon. Sessions start early afternoon, not at dawn.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- La Mercy Lagoonalso a name for this spot
- Umdloti North Sideno page yet
- Umdloti South Sideno page yet
- Umhlangano page yet
- La Luciano page yet
- Durban Kitebeach / Country Club Beach
The spot
Ocean beaches
Cold fronts and crowds
The wind
locals call it North-easterly trade/thermal; south-westerly cold-front wind
Direction
Direction to shore
Cross-shore. The NE is cross-shore on this east-facing coast and is what the North Side works on; southerly and SW cold-front wind is cross-shore on the South Side point. The lagoon takes both.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider, 9-10 m matches the 15-25 kt NE that runs from August into January, 12 m covers the lighter lagoon days, and 7-8 m stays in the bag for the top end of a front. Indicative: read across from Durban, since no uMdloti quiver figures exist.
Character
Typical strength
10-25 kt across the year, with the August-January NE running 15-25 kt.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month73
- Feb, riders' month74
- Mar, riders' month73
- Apr, riders' month58
- May60
- Jun40
- Jul50
- Aug, riders' month81
- Sep, riders' month60
- Oct, riders' month68
- Nov, riders' month67
- Dec, riders' month63
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 73%Jan24°
- 74%Feb26°
- 73%Mar25°
- 58%Apr24°
- 60%May24°
- 40%Jun22°
- 50%Jul22°
- 81%Aug21°
- 60%Sep21°
- 68%Oct22°
- 67%Nov23°
- 63%Dec24°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73% | 82% | 81% | 16 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 23.7 °C | 24.4 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 74% | 82% | 79% | 16.3 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 24.2 °C | 25.6 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 73% | 89% | 82% | 17.4 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 23.6 °C | 25.3 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 58% | 80% | 68% | 15.2 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 21.1 °C | 24.3 °C | 60 |
| May | 60% | 79% | 71% | 14.5 kt | NE | 14:00 | 19.6 °C | 23.7 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 40% | 67% | 58% | 13.2 kt | NE | 15:00 | 17.1 °C | 22.3 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 50% | 73% | 63% | 14.3 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 16.7 °C | 21.6 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 81% | 90% | 85% | 17.4 kt | NE | 15:00 | 17.8 °C | 21.2 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 60% | 80% | 75% | 17 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 19.1 °C | 20.9 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 68% | 81% | 76% | 17.3 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 20.2 °C | 21.7 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 67% | 80% | 75% | 16.5 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 21.8 °C | 23 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 63% | 81% | 71% | 16 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 23.1 °C | 24.1 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
Yes at La Mercy/Mdloti River lagoon: a sandy shallow bottom around 0.5-1.5 m is reported; the ocean beaches are not standing-depth.
Tides
The Umdloti/La Mercy kite conditions are reported as tide independent; lagoon level varies with rainfall and whether the river mouth is open.
Temperature
25–27 °C summer · 20–22 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 21–26 °C
Wetsuit
Boardshorts/rash vest in summer; shorty can be useful in winter.
Currents
No normal lagoon current is reported, but currents are possible when the river mouth is open to the sea; ocean-side surf beaches have shorebreak and can have rips like nearby Durban/KZN wave spots.
Conditions
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
2 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
The lagoon launch is sand and grass at La Mercy/Mdloti River, medium-sized and spacious enough at normal water level, though the parking is tight and shared with fishermen.Ocean launches are sandy beach and grass at uMdloti, with rocks in places and shorebreak on the wave sections. The South Side has good parking with showers and a clean point break in southerly wind; the North Side is the NE wave venue and breaks left, with the heavier shorebreak of the two.
Rules & access
1 min read
Municipal rules and water quality
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Ask a school or a local whether the river mouth is open before you use the lagoon; that is when current shows up.
- Leave the inside of the lagoon to the learners. It is their classroom.
- Walk the ocean beach and find the rocks and the shorebreak line before you launch.
- Compare the Umdloti and Durban airport forecasts. There is no live weather station at the lagoon.
- Ignore the June clean-surf figure when you plan a kite trip: it describes surf quality, not wind.
- Check the municipal beach water-quality notice before you ride the lagoon, especially after rain. The Mdloti River carries sewage from upstream.
- NE puts you on the North Side, southerly and SW on the South Side point. The lagoon works in both.
Getting there
Airport
King Shaka International Airport (DUR)
Route
By car, take the N2 or the M4 north from Durban and exit toward uMdloti or La Mercy. Car and bus access plus a short walk are listed for Umdloti.For the lagoon, stay on the M4 north past Umhlanga and past uMdloti village; as you cross the bridge the lagoon is on your right, about five minutes north of the village and close to King Shaka Airport.
Transfer
About 10-20 minutes from King Shaka International Airport depending on exact accommodation/launch; about 20-30 minutes from central Durban.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Self-catering apartments and beach accommodation are common in uMdloti; listings near King Shaka include several uMdloti beachfront options roughly 5-7 km from the airport.
No-wind days
surfing at Umdloti when swell/wind align · snorkelling and swimming in the Umdloti tidal rock pool · dolphin and seasonal whale watching · Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom · Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Umhlanga · Crocodile Creek · golf courses near Umdloti
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at uMdloti?
The main season runs August to December or January, with NE wind most common; some sources broaden the useful window to October-April.
Is uMdloti suitable for beginners?
Yes, beginners are directed to the La Mercy/Mdloti River lagoon for flat, shallow water around 0.5-1.5 m and local lessons, while the ocean-side beaches suit intermediate and advanced wave riders.
What is the wind like at uMdloti?
NE wind typically runs 10-25 knots, commonly 15-25 knots during the August-January peak, while SW cold-front wind brings different wave conditions farther along the coast.
What hazards should riders know about?
Rocks and heavy shorebreak occur at the ocean-side North/South beaches, and bluebottles can arrive with NE winds; the lagoon can develop currents when the river mouth opens to the sea.
The bigger pictureEverything about Durban
Last updated: August 2026