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Riet River in Port Alfred is an exposed point break that has inconsistent surf. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. Offshore winds are from the west. Waves can be ok even in light onshore winds Tends to receive distant groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the south southwest.. Sometimes crowded. Beware of rips and sharks.

Secret spot? We can hide it!

Overall Riet River Surf Consistency and Wind Distribution

IMPORTANT: Beta version feature! Swell heights are open water values from NWW3. There is no attempt to model near-shore effects. Coastal wave heights will generally be less, especially if the break does not have unobstructed exposure to the open ocean.

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The figure describes the range of swells directed at Riet River over a normal year and ... (show all text)

This chart shows how commonly and how strongly the wind blows from different directions... (show all text)

Also see Riet River surf quality by season and Riet River surf quality by month.

Select Riet River Location Map Detail:

Regional Map | Local Map | Detailed Map

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Use this relief map to navigate to South-Africa - Port Alfred surf breaks and tide stations that are in the area of Riet River

Other Nearby Surf Breaks closest to Riet River:   (click location name for more details)
Closest break	East Pier	2 mi
Second closest break	West Pier	3 mi
Third closest break	Kleinmond (Port Alfred)	5 mi
Fourth closest break	Mtati	10 mi
Fifth closest break	Kellys Beach	12 mi
Wave buoys nearest to Riet River:
Closest wave buoy	Brazil Buoy	4392 mi
Second closest wave buoy	Lion Buoy	5397 mi
Third closest wave buoy	Nice Buoy	5433 mi
Fourth closest wave buoy	Gascogne Buoy	5792 mi
Fifth closest wave buoy	Middle Atlantic Buoy	5879 mi
Tide stations nearest to Riet River:
Closest tide station	Durban, South Africa	353 mi
Second closest tide station	Heard Island, Antarctica	2638 mi
Third closest tide station	Mawson, Antarctica	2757 mi
Fourth closest tide station	Davis, Antarctica	3132 mi
Fifth closest tide station	Royal Bay (Moltke Harbor), South Georgia	3328 mi
Ski Resorts closest to Riet River:
Closest ski area	Tiffindell (South Africa)	210 mi
Second closest ski area	Afri-Ski (Lesotho)	346 mi
Third closest ski area	Afri-Ski (Lesotho)	346 mi
Fourth closest ski area	Afri-Ski (Lesotho)	346 mi
Fifth closest ski area	Afri-Ski (Lesotho)	346 mi
Town and city forecasts close to Riet River:
Closest city location	Port Alfred (South Africa)	3 mi
Second closest city location	Grahamstown (South Africa)	30 mi
Third closest city location	Bisho (South Africa)	52 mi
Fourth closest city location	Alice (South Africa)	56 mi
Fifth closest city location	Fort Beaufort (South Africa)	58 mi

• The closest passenger airport to Riet River is Bisho Airport (VIY) in South Africa, 83 km (52 miles) away (directly).
• The second nearest airport to Riet River is East London Airport (ELS), also in South Africa, 103 km (64 miles) away.
• Third is Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ) in South Africa, 129 km (80 miles) away.
• Queenstown Airport (UTW) in South Africa is 185 km (115 miles) away.
• Umtata Airport (UTT), also in South Africa is the fifth nearest airport to Riet River and is 279 km (173 miles) away.