Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 16s period, S swell with 2,310 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Jul 08) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Richards Bay (Inside) in the next 16 days are 2.2m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Richards Bay (Inside).
Right now, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday the 7th is poor, Wednesday the 8th is barely surfable with tiny, weak waves, and Thursday the 9th is just messy. You’re looking at a bit of a wait, but it gets better.
The first real standout is Friday morning the 10th. That’s the one to circle. The swell starts to push in from the south at 6 ft, with a 15-second period – proper groundswell with good energy (1294) – and the wind is dead calm, glassy. That’s going to be clean, lined-up waves at the inside sandbar. A little big for beginners, but for intermediates and above, it’s going to be a cracking session. Water temp is around 72°, which is pretty average for this time of year.
Saturday morning the 11th also looks good. Similar size, 6 ft from the south, period dropping a little to 14 seconds, but still solid. The wind is cross-offshore from the NNE, keeping it clean. Another morning to get out there early.
After that, the wind and conditions get messier for a few days. Sunday and Monday have some size but the wind is cross or cross-on, choppy. Not worth driving for.
The next real highlight looks like Sunday morning the 19th. Swell from the south at 8 ft, period 10 seconds – that’s a lot of juice (1461). Light cross-shore wind with just a slight ripple. That’s expert territory, too big for most. If you’re solid and know the break, it’ll be a rush.
Then there’s a huge one on Wednesday morning the 22nd. A massive 13 ft south swell with a 13-second period, and combined energy off the charts at 4755. The wind is light cross-onshore, but honestly, that’s just too much for this break. It’s for proper big-wave specialists only, and even then, expect it to be a beast. Not for the average surfer.
Overall, the two best windows: Friday the 10th morning for clean, glassy groundswell, and Saturday the 11th morning for another clean session. The long-range stuff on the 19th and 22nd is big but only for the brave. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, so get in early on those good days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 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) | SE 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SE 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 15 | S 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 79 | 86 | 46 | 43 | 69 | 71 | 118 | 416 | 683 | 1258 | 2310 | 1653 | 1033 | 769 | 488 | 957 | 187 | 220 | 564 | 427 | 349 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:36PM1.57m | 8:55AM1.39m | 9:43PM1.51m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:09PM0.43m | 2:54AM0.57m | 3:08PM0.52m | 4:09AM0.62m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ENE 6 | ESE 10 | ENE 6 | E 8 | S 14 | S 13 | S 15 | S 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | E 8 | S 12 | S 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 79 | 46 | 43 | 21 | 36 | 45 | 43 | 416 | 683 | 1258 | 2310 | 1653 | 1033 | 769 | 488 | 22 | 187 | 220 | 564 | 427 | 349 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | ESE 12 | SSW 14 | SE 9 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | S 15 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | S 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 |
| kJ | 15 | 14 | 41 | 43 | 69 | 34 | 118 | 55 | 46 | 29 | 28 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 99 | 61 | 58 | 78 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 15 | E 10 | SSW 14 | — | SSW 15 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 14 | SE 13 | — | — | — | E 9 | NNE 5 | — | S 12 | E 8 | E 9 | SSE 11 |
| kJ | 18 | 17 | 17 | 38 | — | 71 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 25 | 2 | — | 72 | 23 | 26 | 11 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 5 | SSW 3 | SSW 5 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | S 7 | — | — | ESE 3 | — |
| kJ | 67 | 86 | 46 | 52 | 37 | 3 | 36 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 957 | 150 | — | — | 2 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 50 | 153 | 36 | 0 | 181 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 0 | 88 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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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