Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 2,329 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period with ESE 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s been a rough stretch here at Richards Bay (Inside). The first week is a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. From Monday the 10th all the way through to Friday the 14th, we’re looking at a solid 12ft down to 6ft of swell, but it’s all coming in with strong cross-onshore winds, making for nothing but messy, lumpy conditions. The wave energy is high – we’re talking four-digit figures (1874, 2397) – but with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. Not worth paddling out.
Finally, on Saturday morning, August 15th, we get a proper window. The wind drops right out, going glassy. The swell is a clean 7ft out of the ESE, with a solid 12-second period on it. That’s proper groundswell energy (1296 combined energy), and with that offshore-friendly direction, Richards Bay Inside should fire up with some nice, lined-up sandbar waves. This is the standout of the whole outlook. It’s a consistent spot, so you’ll get waves, but expect a few others out there – it gets crowded sometimes. The water is sitting at about 71°, which is pretty much average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
The good news fades by Saturday afternoon as the wind swings onshore again, and from Sunday the 16th right through to the 25th, it’s a mix of marginal or poor conditions. The swell drops off, gets choppy, and the winds are mostly cross or cross-on. There’s a few moments on the 22nd and 23rd with clean cross-off winds and swell around 7ft – 7ft, but the energy is moderate and the consistent breeze makes it hard to get truly excited. Still, if you’re desperate, those mornings will be the best of a bad bunch.
All in all, don’t bother with the first week. That Saturday morning the 15th is your only real shot at something special. After that, it’s a waiting game.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSW on Mon morning, light winds from the S by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1836 | 2329 | 1781 | 1388 | 958 | 1717 | 1228 | 1024 | 688 | 470 | 439 | 410 | 360 | 706 | 1124 | 1268 | 1066 | 771 | 572 | 564 | 446 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 2:25PM1.59m | 2:45AM1.71m | 3:10PM1.79m | 3:26AM1.85m | 3:49PM1.95m | 4:02AM1.94m | 4:25PM2.05m | 4:36AM1.98m | 4:59PM2.08m | 5:08AM1.96m | 5:30PM2.05m | 5:38AM1.90m | 6:00PM1.95m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:10AM0.42m | 8:31PM0.36m | 8:55AM0.23m | 9:16PM0.21m | 9:34AM0.08m | 9:55PM0.10m | 10:09AM-0.03m | 10:31PM0.04m | 10:42AM-0.07m | 11:04PM0.04m | 11:14AM-0.05m | 11:36PM0.09m | 11:45AM0.02m | 00:06AM0.18m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — |
mm | — | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 10 | SE 12 | E 10 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 13 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 38 | 68 | 37 | 90 | 394 | 150 | 125 | 1024 | 688 | 470 | 439 | 410 | 360 | 706 | 1124 | 1268 | 1066 | 771 | 572 | 564 | 446 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 12 | SSW 15 | E 10 | SSW 14 | S 26 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 20 | S 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 52 | 45 | 146 | 480 | 13 | 71 | 93 | 116 | 79 | 204 | 160 | 53 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 15 | SSW 11 | — | — | S 24 | S 15 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | S 11 | — | S 19 | — | S 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 74 | 47 | — | — | 11 | 39 | 75 | 107 | 50 | 51 | 2 | — | 7 | — | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1836 | 2329 | 1781 | 1388 | 958 | 1717 | 1228 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 513 | 391 | 372 | 1056 | 1056 | 649 | 1056 | 1056 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 0 | 55 | 156 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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