Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming up for Richards Bay (Inside).

Right off the bat, July 31st hits with a solid 10ft SSE swell. That’s a lot of water, and the combined energy is a massive 1528 – you can really feel that power. But, the wind is a cross-shore 22 mph, and the wave comment says it’s just too big for this break. It’s a pass for paddle surfing, honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else. We then go into a long dry spell. From Friday afternoon all the way through most of the following week, conditions are just poor. The wind stays cross or cross-onshore, the swell drops, and the scores are flat. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are write-offs with messy, lumpy, or choppy conditions. The energy drops to 921 and 1203, but the wind just won't cooperate.

Monday the 3rd of August morning is where we finally get a real highlight. The wind goes totally glassy – 0 mph from the SW. That’s the kind of stillness you dream about. The swell is a clean 6ft from the SE with a 10-second period. Energy is still a healthy 753. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions,” and that’s the standout of the entire outlook. It’s a smallish window of quality, just the morning, because the afternoon goes back to a cross-onshore breeze.

After that, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Tuesday the 4th morning has a smaller 4ft ESE swell with a cross-offshore NNE breeze at 9 mph, making for clean conditions. The energy is lower at 351, but it’s rideable. Then we hit another gap of poor to marginal surf until we get to Friday the 7th of August. That morning brings a 4ft southerly swell with a very long 17-second period, and a light cross-onshore breeze. The energy jumps back up to 1169. That long period means better shaped waves, but at a sandbar, it might break a bit straight. It’s a marginal call, but worth a look.

Looking further ahead, Sunday the 9th of August afternoon offers another big pulse: 10ft from the south, energy of 1591, with a light cross-offshore breeze. It’s clean, but again, the wave comment says it’s too big for this break. That’s expert territory only. Monday the 10th morning is glassy again with a 5ft southerly swell and very long 13-second period. The energy is 1293, and it’s another “very good” call. That’s a promising, but less certain, long-range stand-out.

For water temp, on the first day we’re looking at 71°F, with a tiny anomaly of +0.2°F, so about average for this time of year.

So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is the morning of Monday the 3rd of August – glassy, clean, 6ft SE swell. The other real standout to keep an eye on is Monday the 10th of August morning, also glassy with a nice 5ft southerly groundswell. The rest of the window is mostly blown out, too big, or too small. It’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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