Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 15s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s period, S swell with 1,894 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 2.1m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are pretty ordinary, with the Thursday morning (9th July) offering next to nothing – the water’s a warm 71°, which is pretty much average for this time of year. The real action starts to build from Friday morning. The standout of the whole run is hands down Friday morning, 10th July. We’ve got a solid 6ft S swell pushing in with a long 15-second period, pumping in 1542 units of energy (moderate), and the wind is a light NNE cross-offshore. That’s clean, lined-up, proper surf. The swell is a bit over beginner-friendly height, but for intermediates, this is the pick of the fortnight. The water temp is still comfortable, and with the long period, it’s likely to offer some nice, well-shaped waves here at the Inside sandbar. Crowds are a possibility, as it’s a consistent spot, but with conditions this good, it’ll be worth sharing the lineup.
Saturday (11th July) still has some size (6ft), but the wind goes cross-shore, so it’s not as clean as Friday. Sunday the 12th sees the wind pick up and the quality drop off. The next real highlight doesn’t come until Wednesday morning, 15th July. We’ve got a 6ft ESE swell with a clean 10-second period, and the wind is a light N cross-offshore, making for glassy conditions. Energy is 717 units (moderate). It’s not as long-period as the Friday before, but it’ll be clean and fun for the experienced crew.
There’s a bit of a lull then until the 22nd of July. Wednesday morning, 22nd July offers a long-period groundswell (3ft S, 16-second period, 650 units of energy) with a light WSW cross-offshore wind. It’s a small one, but that long period will make it feel punchy, especially on a sandbar that can handle it. A nice option for the patient surfer.
The last notable mention is Thursday morning, 23rd July. A 4ft S swell with a very long period of 18 seconds, pushing 1197 units of energy (moderate). The wind is a light NE cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit choppy, but that long period means there will be some serious energy in the water. A true groundswell for the experienced.
All in all, the two days to circle are Friday the 10th and Wednesday the 15th. Friday is the best of the best. After that, it’s a waiting game for the small, long-period pulses later in the window.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 119 | 801 | 749 | 1507 | 1894 | 1214 | 991 | 734 | 569 | 374 | 347 | 221 | 276 | 240 | 209 | 354 | 388 | 572 | 679 | 561 | 586 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:15AM1.31m | 11:09PM1.48m | 11:52AM1.32m | 00:36AM1.53m | 1:16PM1.43m | 1:47AM1.63m | 2:19PM1.58m | 2:43AM1.75m | 3:11PM1.73m | 3:31AM1.84m | 3:57PM1.86m | 4:14AM1.90m | 4:40PM1.95m | 4:54AM1.92m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:27PM0.58m | 5:40AM0.61m | 6:00PM0.56m | 7:02AM0.51m | 7:20PM0.46m | 8:06AM0.38m | 8:24PM0.33m | 8:57AM0.24m | 9:16PM0.21m | 9:42AM0.12m | 10:03PM0.13m | 10:24AM0.04m | 10:45PM0.10m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  | | | | |  | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 18 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | S 14 | S 13 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SE 6 | S 12 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 30 | 801 | 749 | 1507 | 1894 | 1214 | 991 | 734 | 569 | 186 | 347 | 163 | 276 | 240 | 209 | 354 | 388 | 572 | 679 | 561 | 586 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 6 | S 12 | ESE 6 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 119 | 18 | 46 | 28 | 28 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 85 | 374 | 85 | 221 | 169 | 114 | 174 | 108 | 76 | 50 | 30 | 17 | 240 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | — | — | ESE 8 | — | S 6 | SE 7 | SSE 15 | S 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | — | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSW 9 |
| kJ | 22 | 27 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | — | — | 20 | — | 31 | 57 | 73 | 146 | 79 | 194 | 71 | — | 8 | 5 | 16 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NNE 4 |
| kJ | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 24 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 231 | 155 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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