Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 2,382 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Richards Bay (Inside) this week:
The surf forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Richards Bay (Inside) in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get stuck into the local scene. It's your mate Rusty here, looking at the next couple of weeks for our stretch of coast.
To be honest, the next week or so is a bit of a mixed bag. The ocean's got some energy, but the wind gods aren't playing nice for most of it. There's a lot of chop and cross-shore junk to sift through, so we gotta be patient. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so you won't need a full steamer just yet.
The real standout in this whole forecast is the morning of Wednesday the 9th of September. We've got clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze, and the swell is a tidy 4ft coming from the East. It's not huge, but that light wind and clean face will make for some fun, user-friendly waves at Richards Bay (Inside). The combined wave energy is a moderate 310, so there's enough grunt to push you around without it being a battle. That's the morning to circle on the calendar.
Leading up to that, the 7th of September morning looks interesting too, with a bigger 6ft swell from the South, but the period is a very long 18 seconds. That kind of groundswell energy (2389 combined energy) is powerful, but at a sandbar setup like this, it might straighten out a bit. The wind is clean and cross-off, so if you're an experienced surfer, it could be worth a look, though the crowds might be around.
After the 9th, it gets a bit messy again. The 12th of September morning has some potential with a 3ft South swell showing clean conditions, but it's a small one. The 15th of September looks like it could offer a decent morning with a 6ft South swell (period 17 seconds) under gentle cross-shore winds, but it's not a guaranteed screamer.
Honestly, for the bulk of this period, the wind is just too strong or in the wrong direction to get excited about. There's plenty of days where it's just a messy, choppy affair. The 4th and 5th of September see some solid, powerful swell (over 8ft) but with strong onshore or cross-onshore winds, making it a stormy, blown-out mess only for the hardcore. For a few days there, it honestly looks more interesting for kiting than paddling.
So, plan around that Wednesday morning on the 9th of September. That's your cleanest shot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Thu morning, min 19°C on Fri afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the S by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Fri night, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 15 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 5 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 22 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 39 | 107 | 375 | 620 | 257 | 125 | 149 | 804 | 1529 | 1726 | 534 | 423 | 300 | 351 | 284 | 624 | 2151 | 1529 | 524 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:12AM1.76m | 6:34PM1.78m | 6:46AM1.60m | 7:12PM1.59m | 7:29AM1.41m | 8:07PM1.38m | 8:47AM1.21m | 10:24PM1.22m | 12:06PM1.21m | 00:55AM1.33m | 1:34PM1.43m | 1:55AM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:10AM0.18m | 12:19PM0.18m | 00:45AM0.33m | 12:56PM0.36m | 1:27AM0.52m | 1:43PM0.56m | 2:33AM0.71m | 3:18PM0.76m | 5:17AM0.79m | 6:25PM0.74m | 7:14AM0.61m | 7:44PM0.53m | |||||||
 |  | | | | |  |  |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — |
 | 5:37 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 29 | 23 | 25 | 33 | 33 | 28 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 23 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 27 | 27 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 11 | E 8 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 |
| kJ | 137 | 127 | 100 | 620 | 257 | 125 | 167 | 44 | 43 | 15 | 534 | 423 | 300 | 351 | 144 | 201 | 2151 | 1529 | 524 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 15 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | E 10 | NE 7 | S 18 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 11 | S 26 | S 22 | S 10 | — | E 10 |
| kJ | 39 | 107 | 375 | 41 | 42 | — | — | 68 | 19 | 25 | 414 | 295 | 141 | 112 | 13 | 624 | 48 | — | 31 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | S 16 | S 14 | E 9 | S 14 | SW 26 | S 10 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | 69 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 76 | 103 | 110 | 16 | 26 | 73 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | S 7 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 5 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 147 | 4 | — | 183 | 165 | 597 | 149 | 804 | 1529 | 1726 | — | — | — | — | 284 | 229 | 190 | 300 | 237 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 36 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 372 | 484 | 1282 | 1056 | 1371 | 626 | 156 | 156 | 0 | 156 | 156 | 58 | 849 | 893 | 156 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Richards Bay (Inside) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Richards Bay (Inside) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Richards Bay (Inside) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Richards Bay (Inside)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Nearest