Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into the outlook for Richards Bay (Inside) – this is all we’ve got cookin’ in the 16-day window, so let’s make it count.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards. The first session is a real teaser – Monday the 13th, first light, is glassy with a 5ft ESE swell pumping in at 7 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (433), and the water’s sitting at 72°, which is just about average for this time of year. That morning window is the standout for the first week: clean, glassy, and a proper little sandbar working. But don’t blink – by Monday afternoon, the wind swings cross-onshore and the quality drops right off.

The real gem of the whole run looks like Tuesday morning, July 14th. Swell bumps up to 7ft from the ESE, period stretching to 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to 836 (moderate-strong). With a light offshore NNE breeze, it’s gonna be clean, lined up, and punchy. That’s the morning to wake up early for – intermediate surfers will be loving it, but at 7ft, it’s starting to push the limits for beginners. Wednesday morning, July 15th, is also a solid shout: 6ft, 10-second ESE swell, clean again with a cross-off breeze. Consistent and good shape on offer.

Thursday and Friday ease off a touch, but Friday morning July 17th still serves up a clean 4ft E swell – a nice little cruiser session for the longboard or a fun log. The weekend sees a bit of a shift – Saturday July 18th has a long-period 15-second S swell, giving 5ft, but the morning is a bit cross and the afternoon is choppy. That long period from the south might make it a bit straight at the sandbar, but there’s energy (1072 in the morning). It’s a marginal call.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Sunday July 19th through to Tuesday July 22nd is mostly poor or marginal, with small surf and dodgy winds. But hold tight – Wednesday July 22nd is another standout. The morning brings a clean, offshore wind with a 4ft S swell, 16-second period, and energy at 804. That’s a proper groundswell pulse, and the sandbar should handle it nicely. The afternoon is even better – glassy, 0 wind, 4ft but still 16 seconds, and that energy is 684. That afternoon session on the 22nd is your second-best call of the whole outlook – clean, glassy, and long-period lines.

After that, it’s pretty much a fade-out. From Thursday July 23rd through to the end of the run on July 28th, the surf gets small, messy, or blown out. There’s a few clean moments on the 25th and 28th mornings, but the swell is tiny (3ft to 5ft) and the energy is weak. The 27th and 28th mornings have offshore winds but the swell is short-period or too small to get excited about.

Overall, the best bets are Tuesday morning July 14th and Wednesday afternoon July 22nd. If you’re paddling out, those are the windows. The rest of the run is pretty patchy, with a lot of marginal or poor conditions – but it’s not all bad, and forecasts can change, so keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty out.

Read more