Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down the next couple of weeks for Richards Bay. It’s a pretty average run, and there’s a quiet start before we get anything clean.

The water temp is sitting at 71°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We start on Saturday, August 1st, but it’s not great. There’s a 7ft south-east swell, but it’s got a cross-shore wind from the SSW at 19 mph, making it lumpy and poor. The combined energy is moderate at 816. It carries on like that through Sunday and Monday – the swell hangs around 7ft to 8ft, but the wind is all over the place, so it’s messy. The period is mostly 9 to 11 seconds, so it’s a mix of wind and ground swell, but nothing you’d want to paddle out for.

The first real glimmer comes on Tuesday, August 4th, in the morning. The swell drops to a clean 5ft from the ESE, with a 10-second period, and the wind goes light cross-offshore from the NNE at 9 mph. The energy is moderate at 473. It’s clean, but it’s only a 2/10, so it’s more about getting a few small ones than anything special. Richards Bay (Inside) is a sandbar, so it can be fun when it’s clean, but it’s still a bit inconsistent.

The next few days are a write-off until Tuesday, August 11th. That morning, the swell picks up to 5ft from the SSW, but with a 12-second period, it’s got some grunt. The energy is strong at 1531. The wind is light cross-offshore from the north at 12 mph, making it clean. This is the standout of the whole run – it’s the best chance for a decent session, but it’s still only a marginal call, so don’t expect perfection. The swell direction is from the SSW, which is close to the optimum south swell for this spot, so that helps.

Wednesday the 12th sees a bit of a bump up to 6ft from the east, but the wind is cross-offshore in the morning and then goes cross-onshore in the afternoon, so it’s not as clean. The period is only 9 seconds, so it’s a bit weaker.

From Thursday the 13th through to the end of the 16 days, the swell drops right off, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, with some rain showers. The surf is mostly poor or only marginal, with no real standout. The 16th of August has barely any swell at all – 0.7ft from the south, with a 15-second period, but that’s not enough to ride.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is Tuesday morning, the 11th of August. It’s not a classic, but it’s the cleanest and most energetic of the whole run. The rest is a bit of a slog. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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