Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Richards Bay (Inside).

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag. There’s not much to get excited about for a long stretch. The first real pulse of surf worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until early on Friday the 18th of September, and that’s a good week and a half away. Before that, we’ve got a solid gap of days where the conditions are poor and the scores are zero. The wind is mostly cross or cross-off from the NNE and NE, but the swell is small and jumbled. The best of the early period is Tuesday the 8th morning, with a 4 ft SSE swell at 13 seconds – that’s a moderate 724 energy reading – but it’s only rated as marginal due to the tide, and the 25 km/h NNE cross-off wind keeps it cleanish. Still, it’s a miss for me.

That scratchy run continues until we hit the end of the second week. On Friday the 18th morning, things finally look like they might have some grunt. There’s a solid 12 ft S swell rolling in at 9 seconds, and the combined energy is a very strong 2259. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNE at 30 km/h, so it’ll be clean. But here’s the catch – 12 ft is well over that 8 ft mark, meaning it’s strictly for the expert crew. It’s also a sandbar break, and that short period (9 seconds) means it might be a bit lumpy and close together. The tide is reportedly favorable, but the size is just too much for most. Still, if you’re a proper charger and you know Inside, it could be a standout moment.

Then on Saturday the 19th morning, we get another big one: 13 ft from the SSE at 12 seconds, with a towering 4054 energy reading. Again, that’s too big for all but the most experienced. The wind is a lighter NNE cross-off at 25 km/h, so the surface will be glassy clean. The longer period of 12 seconds will give it better shape, but 13 ft at a sandbar is a beast. For the average punter, this is a look-and-learn day.

By Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st, the swell drops into the 6 ft to 8 ft range, with SE swell and periods around 12-13 seconds. The wind turns cross-on or onshore though, and the conditions are described as marginal. There’s a bit of energy left (over 1400 on Monday morning), but the wind is just not playing ball.

So, plain and simple – the standout window is the morning of the 18th and the morning of the 19th for the big-wave specialists. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game. The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is about 2°F cooler than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that little nip.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty

Read more