Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, S swell with 4,841 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 19s period with S 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Richards Bay (Inside) in the next 16 days are 3.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next couple weeks.
The big one, the one to circle on the calendar, is Monday morning, September 7th. That’s your absolute best shot. We’ve got a solid 10ft south swell rolling in, with a real long 18-second period – that’s pure groundswell, full of punch. The combined energy is massive at 4916, so there’s serious power. And the wind? Dead glass. Perfect. Water temp is 69°, which is a touch cooler than usual for this time of year. Just a word of warning – at over 8ft, this is expert-only territory. That long period will make it sectiony on this sandbar, so only the experienced crew need apply.
After that Monday morning, it drops off hard. Tuesday the 8th has a smaller 4ft SSE swell, but moderate cross-off winds keep it looking clean. Still, energy is down to 709, and it’s only marginal. Not much to write home about.
From Wednesday the 9th all the way through to Sunday the 14th, it’s pretty grim. Tiny surf, poor conditions, and building winds. Combined energy is under 200 on most days, and the ocean looks lumpy and choppy. That’s a solid stretch of days where you’re better off doing something else.
Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th give you tiny glimpses – 4ft and 3ft – but the wind and tide aren’t cooperating. Marginal again.
Now, looking further out, Friday afternoon, September 18th, shows a bit of promise. A 8ft SSE swell, 12-second period, and energy jumps back to 1688. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it could clean up nicely. It’s still over 8ft though, so keep it for the experts. That Friday is your second-best window, but it’s a long way off, so don’t count on it just yet.
The rest of the second week is a bust. Strong onshore winds, messy conditions, and not much energy. Nothing else stands out.
So, to sum it up: Monday morning the 7th is the clear standout. If you miss that, keep an eye on the 18th, but don’t plan your life around it. This break is consistent, but the conditions are holding back most of the window.
Stay salty,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NNE by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 18°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the NNW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 7 | E 9 | SE 10 | S 21 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 8 | S 19 | S 17 | S 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4841 | 2948 | 1229 | 627 | 273 | 145 | 105 | 68 | 243 | 162 | 26 | 10 | 224 | 194 | 157 | 127 | 220 | 31 | 69 | 154 | 127 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:34PM1.43m | 1:55AM1.53m | 2:21PM1.67m | 2:36AM1.72m | 2:58PM1.87m | 3:10AM1.86m | 3:30PM2.02m | 3:42AM1.96m | 4:01PM2.10m | 4:12AM2.00m | 4:30PM2.11m | 4:40AM1.99m | 4:57PM2.07m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:44PM0.53m | 8:05AM0.39m | 8:29PM0.33m | 8:42AM0.20m | 9:05PM0.17m | 9:15AM0.05m | 9:37PM0.06m | 9:46AM-0.05m | 10:07PM-0.00m | 10:16AM-0.08m | 10:36PM-0.01m | 10:44AM-0.06m | 11:03PM0.03m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — |
 | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 27 | 28 | 22 |
Feels °C | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 16 | S 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | E 7 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 7 | E 9 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 7 | S 8 | E 8 | S 17 | S 16 |
| kJ | 4841 | 2948 | 1229 | 627 | 273 | 123 | 105 | 68 | 243 | 162 | 26 | 347 | 224 | 194 | 157 | 127 | 10 | 31 | 69 | 154 | 127 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | SSE 11 | S 12 | — | E 9 | SE 10 | S 14 | SSE 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 6 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 11 |
| kJ | 75 | 115 | 127 | 33 | 19 | 145 | 3 | — | 64 | 28 | 4 | 10 | 103 | 85 | 42 | 11 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 6 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | S 16 | S 17 | SSE 11 | S 15 | SSE 12 | S 21 | SE 9 | — | SE 14 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 19 | S 11 | SE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 5 | 5 | 45 | 4 | 14 | 9 | 3 | — | 8 | 35 | 6 | 5 | 65 | 9 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 10 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | NNE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NNE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 9 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 6 | — | E 9 | ENE 9 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 137 | 49 | 222 | 59 | 241 | 444 | 67 | 183 | 407 | 560 | 24 | 21 | 32 | — | 220 | 368 | 188 | 529 | 465 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 50 | 0 | 630 | 849 | 156 | 709 | 893 | 116 | 156 | 391 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 156 | 156 | 577 | 577 | 141 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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