Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Rusty here, and I'm looking at the long-range picture for Richards Bay (Inside). Gotta be straight with you—this is a tough stretch. The next two weeks are mostly a write-off for a proper paddle session, but let's break it down day by day.

We start the forecast period on Monday, July 27th, and honestly, the first week is a grind. The Inside is seeing small, clean swell on Monday morning with a 2ft S swell, 16-second period and a nice cross-off wind, but combined wave energy is weak (216) and the surf quality is rated poor. That about sums up the whole week. Tuesday and Wednesday bring some rain and choppy, cross-on conditions, and the swell jumps up to 8ft on Wednesday with a short period of 9 seconds and a strong cross-shore wind. That's a lot of lumpy water, but it's not surfable. The energy is moderate to strong (1724 on Wednesday morning), but the wind is just ruining it. Thursday and Friday are more of the same: 8ft of short-period, wind-affected swell. The weekend of August 1st and 2nd sees the swell drop but the wind stays nasty, with a strong breeze on Saturday making a mess of things.

Now, there's a glimmer of hope in the second week. Monday, August 3rd, and Tuesday, August 4th, both show clean mornings with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE. The swell is small though—around 3ft to 4ft from the ESE with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is low (489 and 272 respectively). These are "marginal" days, meaning you might find a rideable wave if you're patient, but it's not going to be pumping.

The one true standout in this whole 16-day window is Thursday, August 6th. The morning is glassy—absolutely no wind. The swell is small at 2ft from the ESE with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is low (110). But that glassy condition is a rare treat. The waves will be clean, even if they're small. This is your best bet for a fun, mellow session on a longboard or a fish. It's not a big day, but it's the only day where the conditions align for a truly pleasant paddle.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual to report there.

The rest of the second week, from August 7th to the 11th, is a bit of a mixed bag. The wind is mostly cross-off in the mornings, which is good, but the swell direction and size keep changing. August 10th (Monday) sees a bigger jump to 8ft from the ESE with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1666. That's a decent amount of swell, but it's marginal surf due to the short period and the question of the tide. It's a big, chunky swell that might be more interesting for the experienced crew, but it's not a clean, lined-up wave.

Overall, if you're looking to paddle, mark your calendar for Thursday morning, August 6th. That's the cleanest window. The rest of the period is either too windy, too messy, or just too small. For the kite surfers out there, the days with 8ft swell and strong cross-shore winds—like Wednesday, July 29th, through Friday, July 31st—will look a lot more appealing than they do for us on a surfboard.

Rusty.

Read more