
Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 16s period, S swell with 1,958 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. 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 2.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Richards Bay (Inside). It’s a sandbar set-up, fairly exposed to the south, and it’s a consistent spot – so the potential is there even if we have to dig for it. The water temp feels about average for this time of year, nothing wild going on.
The first real glimmer is Sunday morning the 26th. We’ve got 5 ft of SE swell, a solid 9-second period, and a light north-easterly cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is sitting at 521, which is moderate, and the conditions are clean. It’s not the biggest, but it’s the only real window of quality early doors. The afternoon goes sour quick – NE wind picks up, crosses the wave face, and the surf drops off. A short-lived window, but if you’re keen, Sunday morning is your only real shot in the first week.
After that, it’s a grim run. Monday the 27th through to Tuesday the 29th, the wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, and moderate to fresh breezes. Swell hangs around the 2 ft to 7 ft mark, but the periods are all over the shop and the energy (e.g. 219, 588) is either weak or poorly directed. The wind messes up any chance of a clean wave. By Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th, the swell pushes up to 7 ft to 7 ft, but it’s all cross-shore chop with moderate wind. The energy climbs into the 900-1500 range, but the quality is junk. This isn’t for paddle surfing – with that cross-breeze and lumpy sea, it looks more like a kite session.
The first week is a write-off after Sunday. There’s a long gap of nothing good until the start of week two.
Now, the standout. Monday the 3rd of August. This is the one. The morning brings glassy conditions – a light SSW breeze, almost nothing – and the swell is 7 ft of ESE groundswell at 11 seconds. Combined energy is a solid 1277. That’s a proper, clean, long-period groundswell pushing in with no wind to mess it up. The setup is a sandbar, so the long period might make it a little straight compared to a reef, but with that size and clean face, it’ll be the best session of the forecast. Afternoon gets a bit choppy as the east wind picks up, but the morning is the real deal. It’s an intermediate-friendly size, but at 7 ft it’s edging towards strong for beginners – take care.
Thursday the 6th of August morning offers another glassy moment, with a 6 ft ESE swell at 9 seconds and combined energy around 548. It’s clean, but the period is shorter and the energy is weaker. Still a fun session if you’re around, but not a patch on Monday.
The last few days, from the 7th to the 10th, drop off. The swell fades to 3 ft to 5 ft, the wind turns cross or cross-off, but the energy is low (228-374), and most of the afternoon slots are blown out. The Sunday morning of the 9th, with 3 ft E swell and a cross-off NNE breeze, is surfable but ordinary.
So to sum it up: you’ve got Sunday morning the 26th for a quick clean window, but the real standout is Monday the 3rd of August with glassy, 7 ft groundswell – that’s the one to circle. The rest of the window is mostly cross-shore chop and mediocre conditions. Keep your eye on the long-range, Monday morning is the payoff.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sun morning, strong winds from the SW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Wed afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the SW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | S 13 | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 16 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
335 | 280 | 138 | 124 | 109 | 384 | 1789 | 343 | 626 | 859 | 819 | 541 | 727 | 560 | 439 | 477 | 343 | 346 | 205 | 192 | 564 | |
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 | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:30PM1.40m | 2:42AM1.52m | 3:06PM1.53m | 3:16AM1.64m | 3:38PM1.66m | 3:46AM1.74m | 4:07PM1.76m | 4:15AM1.82m | 4:36PM1.85m | 4:43AM1.87m | 5:04PM1.90m | 5:11AM1.88m | 5:32PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:17AM0.56m | 8:30PM0.55m | 8:55AM0.43m | 9:06PM0.43m | 9:27AM0.31m | 9:38PM0.33m | 9:56AM0.20m | 10:08PM0.25m | 10:24AM0.12m | 10:38PM0.19m | 10:51AM0.07m | 11:07PM0.17m | 11:18AM0.06m | 11:36PM0.17m | |||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | S 15 | E 8 | ESE 8 | S 16 | ESE 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 14 | SSE 9 | SSW 14 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | S 15 | S 14 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 |
335 | 235 | 129 | 46 | 109 | 63 | 39 | 343 | 88 | 744 | 494 | 541 | 394 | 454 | 439 | 155 | 144 | 346 | 205 | 186 | 564 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 16 | SE 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SSW 15 | E 9 | S 16 | E 9 | S 14 | S 14 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
236 | 280 | 110 | 124 | 33 | 89 | 213 | 64 | 87 | 167 | 83 | 46 | 79 | 96 | 144 | 110 | 125 | 58 | 28 | 14 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | SSW 16 | S 17 | SSW 12 | S 10 | SSW 16 | E 9 | — | — | E 9 | — | — | — | E 9 | — | — | — | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | — |
5 | 50 | 138 | 49 | 18 | 107 | 59 | — | — | 81 | — | — | — | 81 | — | — | — | 219 | 98 | 56 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 6 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SW 5 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | — | E 10 | — |
— | 21 | 62 | 69 | 69 | 384 | 1789 | 122 | 626 | 859 | 819 | 74 | 727 | 560 | 398 | 477 | 343 | 345 | — | 192 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 849 | 116 | 50 | 76 | 1 | 654 | 484 | 1 | 155 | 155 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 207 | 372 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










