Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, S swell with 2,509 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with E 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 07) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. 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 4.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for our local stretch.
To be real with you, the next 16 days are a tough watch. The whole period is mostly a write-off with poor surf conditions. We’ve got a massive gap of no good waves from now all the way through to the start of the second week. The only flicker of something surfable shows up around Monday the 17th of August, and even then it’s ordinary.
The first real chance you’ll get is on Monday morning the 17th at Richards Bay (Inside), but it’s marginal. We’re looking at a weak 3ft swell from the ESE with a long period of 10 seconds, so there’s a bit of energy but not much push. The combined energy is only 223 (weak). Winds are light and cross-off, so it’ll be clean. Honestly, it’s not much to write home about – just a small, ordinary wave for a quiet paddle.
The only standout – and I use that term loosely – comes on Tuesday morning the 18th of August. Again at Richards Bay (Inside). Swell is still tiny at 3ft from the ESE, period 10 seconds, combined energy 205 (weak). But the wind switches to a clean, light cross-off from the NNE, so it’ll be glassy. The water temp is sitting at 71°F, which is about average for the time of year, nothing wild. This is your best bet if you’re desperate for a slide, but it’s strictly for the longboard or a foamie. Crowds are possible here, so don’t expect a solo session.
After that, it’s back to the same old story. The following days are all poor, with stronger winds and messy chop. The swell tries to pick up around the 22nd, but it’s accompanied by fresh cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions – more suited for a kite than a paddle.
So, bottom line: the next 16 days are a dud. There’s no real swell to get excited about, and the wind is almost always working against us. The small window on the 17th and 18th is your only chance, and it’s a slim one. A blank run like this is pretty normal for the area, so don’t lose hope – forecasts can always change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Fri night, strong winds from the SSW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 50mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Mon morning, moderate winds from the S by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | S 13 | E 9 | SSW 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 16 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 98 | 126 | 83 | 103 | 132 | 107 | 100 | 186 | 705 | 2111 | 2289 | 753 | 1108 | 1120 | 1637 | 1360 | 1182 | 1032 | 816 | 572 | 338 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:18AM1.27m | 10:29PM1.34m | 11:37AM1.22m | 00:37AM1.39m | 1:24PM1.37m | 1:54AM1.54m | 2:25PM1.59m | 2:45AM1.71m | 3:10PM1.79m | 3:26AM1.85m | 3:49PM1.95m | 4:02AM1.94m | 4:25PM2.05m | 4:36AM1.98m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:39PM0.66m | 5:10AM0.72m | 5:52PM0.68m | 7:05AM0.61m | 7:31PM0.54m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 16 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 8 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 24 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 83 | 81 | 83 | 87 | 132 | 64 | 65 | 81 | 59 | 44 | 46 | 346 | 61 | 472 | 1299 | 838 | 12 | 872 | 660 | 572 | 338 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 14 | ENE 6 | S 16 | NNE 6 | — | — | E 10 | SSW 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SW 24 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | ESE 11 |
| kJ | 98 | 126 | 76 | 47 | 39 | 107 | 22 | 186 | 3 | — | — | 66 | 86 | 90 | 47 | 42 | 23 | 125 | 84 | 82 | 97 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 5 | S 5 | SSW 18 | — | SSE 7 | S 14 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | S 14 | E 9 | — | — | — | S 22 | S 20 | SSW 18 | S 21 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 13 | 103 | — | 5 | 100 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 85 | — | — | — | 37 | 68 | 64 | 216 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 6 | — | NNE 3 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | — | — |
| kJ | 49 | 25 | — | 3 | 84 | 80 | 12 | 27 | 705 | 2111 | 2289 | 753 | 1108 | 1120 | 1637 | 1360 | 1182 | 1032 | 816 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 155 | 1 | 0 | 156 | 372 | 116 | 0 | 2482 | 839 | 587 | 1056 | 559 | 1047 | 1373 | 201 | 372 | 155 | 155 | 155 | 98 | 1 |
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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