Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for Richards Bay (Inside). It’s a bit of a mixed bag ahead, so let’s break it down.

The overall pattern is tough to get excited about for a while. We’ve got a long stretch of so-so conditions and a lot of wind messing things up. The first real glimmer of decent surf is a long way off, so be patient.

The first day with any surf to even talk about is Saturday the 18th. It’s small, around 3 ft from the ESE, but the wind is a light cross-on at 5 km/h. The water is a comfortable 72°, which is normal for this time of year. Honestly, it’s not great, and the combined energy is weak (327).

Sunday the 19th sees a lift in swell to about 5 ft from the SSE, with a period of 12 seconds. The morning is clear with a light cross-shore wind, but it’s still rated as pretty marginal. The energy is moderate (827).

Things get a bit more size on Monday the 20th, with 7 ft of SE swell, but it’s accompanied by rain showers and a strong 20 km/h cross-on wind. The energy is strong (1407), but the wind will make it a mess. By Tuesday afternoon the 21st, the wind swings NE and picks up to 25 km/h, killing the 4 ft swell dead.

We then hit a rough patch from Wednesday the 22nd through to the start of the following week. The wind is a constant problem, often blowing strong and onshore or cross-shore, with the swell dropping to almost nothing. There’s a day on Thursday the 23rd where a 6 ft south swell appears, but it’s only a 6-second period and a 30 km/h wind, which is just horrible for surfing.

The first real standout in this entire forecast is Sunday the 26th of July. The morning is looking glassy, with a 4 ft swell from the south at 14 seconds. The wind is a light 5 km/h from the ENE, listed as glassy. The energy is moderate (650). For a spot that’s been getting hammered by wind, this is a clean window. It’s small, but it’ll be your best chance for a smooth, uncrowded session inside the bay.

The far end of the window gets interesting, but it’s a long way out. On Wednesday morning the 29th of July, we see a swell building to 8 ft from the south, but the period is short at 8 seconds and the wind is strong. However, Thursday morning the 30th of July is the big one to watch. The forecast is showing 12 ft from the SSE. That’s big, with very strong energy (1667). The wind is a strong 30 km/h cross-shore, which is not ideal for a clean wave. At that size, this is a spot for experts only, and it will be too big for beginners. The period is short, so it won’t be the best shape, but there will be a lot of water moving. Friday the 31st looks messy with strong onshore winds.

The final highlight is Sunday the 2nd of August, a week and a half out. It’s a promising longer-range call. The morning is clear with a light offshore cross-off wind from the west at 5 km/h. The swell is 6 ft from the SE at 12 seconds, with moderate to strong energy (926). This has the potential to be the pick of the entire 16 days, with clean conditions and a solid wave for the Inside. Keep an eye on this one.

So, to sum it up: the next week and a half is mostly a write-off. The best bet is Sunday morning the 26th for a glassy small-wave session, and then keep your eyes on the long-range call for Sunday the 2nd of August, which looks like the real winner.

Rusty.

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