Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Richards Bay in the coming weeks. It’s not a straightforward run, but there are a couple of windows that could be worth a paddle.

We start off with a bit of a mixed bag. The first proper surf to talk about is Monday afternoon, the 20th of July. Richards Bay (Inside) is seeing a 6ft swell from the SE, with a 12-second period, but the wind is a cross-on from the S at 9 mph, making it a bit choppy and messy. The combined wave energy is a solid 1224 (moderate), but the quality isn’t there for a great session. Not our best.

Tuesday the 21st sees the swell drop to 4ft (SE), still with a 12-second period, and the morning has a light cross-shore breeze from the NE at 6 mph, so it’s small and a little rippled but surfable. The afternoon gets a stronger cross-shore wind from the ENE at 12 mph, making things lumpy. Not a standout.

The best chance for a clean wave in the first week looks like Wednesday morning, the 22nd of July. The swell is a small 4ft from the SE, with a 12-second period, but we’ve got a cross-offshore wind from the NNE at 16 mph, keeping the surface clean. The wave energy is moderate (597). It’s not big, but it’ll be a nicely shaped line if you’re on a log or a fish. Crowds are possible here, so keep an eye out.

The next real highlight, and the one I’d circle on the calendar, is Tuesday afternoon, the 28th of July. The swell picks up to 8ft from the S, with a short 7-second period, meaning it’ll be a bit walled up but punchy. The magic here is the wind: glassy. Dead flat, clean water. The combined energy is a solid 603 (moderate). This is a true window for a decent session at Richards Bay (Inside). The water temp is about 72°F, which is spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We then get a bit of a lull with some windy, blown-out days, but the long-range looks interesting. On Sunday morning, the 2nd of August, we see a massive 13ft swell from the S, with an 11-second period. The wind is glassy, and the energy is a whopping 3808 (very strong). However, this is way too big for Richards Bay (Inside) – this is only for experts, and even then, it’s likely to be a close-out. The afternoon stays big at 12ft, with a cross-on wind. This setup is more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfing.

The final call is for a solid late push. Monday and Tuesday, the 3rd and 4th of August, see consistent 8ft swell from the SSE/SE, with a 12-second period. The wind is cross-offshore from the NNE/N, keeping things clean. The energy is strong (2131 to 1878). This is a promising, well-sized window, but it’s a week and a half out, so treat it as a hopeful but not a dead cert. This is the best of the long-range for a proper paddle.

Rusty.

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