Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.

Right from the start, we’re looking at a rough patch. The first few days are a write-off – Thursday 27th through the start of Saturday 30th August are just messy with lumpy cross-shore and cross-off winds pushing in around 3ft to 6ft of south swell, and the water temp is bang on normal for this time of year at 71°F. No good. Then Sunday 30th and Monday 31st August offer a glimmer – Monday morning actually shows clean conditions with a gentle breeze and a 4ft east swell (period 9 seconds), but it’s only marginal due to tide. Still, it’s the first half-decent look. From there, the wind stays a problem right through to the end of the week, with nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout session of the whole outlook is Thursday morning the 3rd of September. The wind goes glassy – dead calm – and there’s a 3ft south groundswell with a very long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy sitting at 888 is moderate, but that period means the waves will have proper shape and power. It’s going to be clean and glassy, and for a sandbar setup, that’s about as good as it gets. This is the one to circle.

But hold up – Thursday afternoon the 3rd and then into Friday the 4th, the swell jumps up. Thursday afternoon sees a 10ft south swell (7 seconds) with clean cross-off wind, but that size is too much for Richards Bay Inside – it’s more for experts only. Friday morning the 4th is blown out by a strong south wind, and Friday afternoon brings a solid 15ft SSE swell (11 seconds) with over 4864 combined energy – very strong – but again, it’s way too big for this break. The same goes for Saturday the 5th September with a 13ft SE groundswell (12 seconds, 5091 energy) and clean morning conditions – incredible power, but only for the brave, and likely a better show for kite surfers than paddle surfers given the size and beach setup.

After that peak, the surf drops back. Sunday 6th into early September the 7th still has some size (8ft to 6ft) but the wind is cross or lumpy, so it’s marginal at best. Then from the 8th onward, the swell fades to under 4ft with mostly messy wind, and by Thursday 11th September we’re down to tiny, weak energy (as low as 51 combined) and onshore wind. Nothing there.

So, bottom line: if you want clean, rideable waves, your best bet is Thursday 3rd September morning – glassy, 3ft with 17-second period, and the water temp’s normal. For the big stuff, the 3rd afternoon through 5th September has serious size, but it’s only for the experienced and the conditions are pushy. The rest is a long wait with not much to offer until that morning window.

Rusty.

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