Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's on the table for Richards Bay.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 70°, which is 1° cooler than the long-term average for this time of year. So, pretty much what you'd expect, no need to dig out the thickest steamer.

Honestly, the first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 6th is a total loss with that onshore SE wind and lumpy, poor conditions. The combined energy is weak to moderate (418), and the wave call is "poor". We're in a holding pattern for a while.

But hold on to your boardies, because Monday the 7th morning is the real standout. We’ve got a solid 10ft swell rolling in from the south with a very long 18-second period. That's a serious groundswell, packing a huge punch with a combined energy of 4916. The wind is a light Easterly cross-on, which is workable. The catch here is that it's a sandbar break, and a long-period swell like this can sometimes make things a bit tricky at the beach, but for an intermediate, this is a proper session. The forecast says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, but that's a call you'll have to make on the day. This is definitely the best on offer and the one to circle on the calendar.

After that, the week goes quiet. Tuesday the 8th sees the swell drop right off, with a strong cross-shore wind making a mess of things. The energy drops to 634. The rest of the week is pretty bleak with small, weak swells and poor conditions, though Wednesday the 9th and Friday the 11th mornings are clean, just tiny. Saturday the 12th is a write-off with a short period 5ft wave and a fresh breeze.

Next week doesn't look much better. The swell stays small (0.7ft to 3ft) until we get a glimpse of another big pulse on Thursday the 17th. Thursday morning the 17th shows a 10ft south swell, but with a short 8-second period, and a combined energy of 1187. The wind is offshore from the NNE, which is clean, but again, it's flagged as too big for this break. Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th also show 10ft swells, but with a similar caveat. The wind is cross-off on Friday, but the period is a short 9 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpy. The real problem is that after the 7th, the surf is either too small, too messy, or too big for the break.

So, to sum it up: You've got one golden window on the morning of Monday the 7th. That's your session. After that, it's a long, dry stretch with a few big, messy swells that are probably too much for the inside sandbar. Keep your eyes on the forecasts for the 17th and 18th, but don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

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