Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and after looking at the charts for Richards Bay, I've got to be straight with ya: it’s a rough stretch ahead. There’s no surf on offer right now, and we're looking at four days of onshore slop and chop before anything even starts to look semi-decent. The wind is just going to be all over the place, and those waves are going to be messy.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday the 19th, but it's more of a tease. We are looking at small, 3ft waves from the ESE, but with that cross-offshore wind and clean conditions, it’s the first time you might even want to get wet. But don't get too excited, it's pretty weak stuff. That afternoon, the wind picks up and it’s back to square one. The 20th is a write-off, with the swell jumping up but the wind making it a washing machine.

Now, here’s where the real talking point is. Friday the 21st of August could be our standout. There's a proper groundswell arriving from the south, with a 14-second period and a solid 6ft. The energy is strong, and it's got some proper grunt behind it. The morning glass is clean with a cross-offshore breeze. This is where you want to be at Richards Bay (Inside). A long-period south swell like this is always a good bet for this sandbar. But it's the afternoon that kills it again, as the wind swings around and it all turns to junk.

After that, we have a few days of small, marginal waves and wind that won't make up its mind. The swell drops right off, but there's a pulse of longer-period energy moving through. By Saturday the 22nd, the morning is clean and cross-off but the swell is tiny. Then, a much bigger pulse of swell is coming our way for Sunday the 23rd. We’re talking 8ft swell from the south with a 14-second period, and it’s got some serious energy behind it. But the wind is the problem. It’s onshore and the surf is just going to be a messy, powerful beast. It’s more of a look-at-it-from-the-beach kind of day unless you’re a proper charger. The 24th is more of the same, still some solid energy and a clean window in the morning, but the size and the period are still on the edge of being unruly.

After that, we are looking at a drop-off. From the 25th all the way through to the 2nd of September, there is nothing that would get me excited. The swell is small, the periods are short, and the wind will occasionally have a clean window but the waves are just not going to have any power behind them to make it worthwhile. On the 29th, a strong S/SW wind and 8ft of swell will kick up a full-on mess. There’s a bit of a hump on the 30th with some lighter winds, but those are rain showers and a weak, short-period swell, so it’s still not classic.

So, bottom line, there are only two times I'd even think about paddling out. The first is the Friday morning 21st, and the most promising is that Sunday 23rd, but you'd have to be an expert to handle that power. Those are your only real chances, and even they are not perfect. The rest of the window is ordinary at best. Keep an eye on it, though, things can change. This is Rusty, signing off.

Read more