Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Lat Long: 28.81° S 32.10° E

Issued: 1 pm 21 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in hr min

Today's Richards Bay (Inside) sea temperature is

21.9° C

Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.

Surf Forecasts:

Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:

Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, S swell with 1,757 kJ wave energy.
Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period with SE 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Richards Bay (Inside) in the next 16 days are 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 2PM.

Wave Type	Time (SAST) & Date	Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)	11PM (Tue 21st Jul)	4.5ft (1.3m) 12s
Best Surf	11PM (Tue 21st Jul)	4.5ft (1.3m) 12s
Most Powerful	8AM (Fri 24th Jul)	11ft (3.5m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.

The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Richards Bay (Inside) in proper units.

First off, the next week and a half is a bit of a bust. The wind is mostly cross-on or cross, and the swell is either too small or too messy. You’ll see some cleaner mornings on the 22nd, 23rd, 26th, and 29th of July, but the waves are only 2 feet to 4 feet, and the wave comments are “marginal” — not worth the drive.

Then on Friday the 24th of July, you get a big 10-foot swell from the south, but it’s short period at 9 seconds, and a 25 mph cross-on wind. That’s a 1729 combined energy, so it’s got power, but it’s a messy cross-onshore — more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle surf day.

The same story continues through the 30th and 31st of July. Wind is too strong or wrong direction, and the waves are lumpy. No real standouts.

The first glimmer comes on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning is clean with a cross-off breeze from the NNE at 15 mph, and a 5-foot swell from the south at a very long 17-second period. That’s 1539 combined energy — strong. For a sandbar, that long period might make the waves a bit fat, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen.

But the real standout is Monday the 3rd of August. Morning glass-off. Zero wind. A 8-foot swell from the ESE at 10 seconds, and 1210 combined energy. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the one. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and the direction is good. The crowd factor is “sometimes”, so you might have a few local heads, but it’s worth it.

The Sunday before, the 2nd of August, also has an 8-foot swell from the ESE at 9 seconds, with a light cross-shore wind and 2162 combined energy, but the wave comment is only “marginal” — a little lumpy. Still a decent option.

Water temp at the start is 71°, right on average for the time of year.

So, to be clear: the first week and a half is a write-off. The best window starts on the 1st of August with a clean morning, and the absolute standout is Monday the 3rd of August morning — glassy, 8 feet, clean. Circle that one.

Rusty.

	Short Range Forecast Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the SSW by Fri morning).											Days 5-7 Weather Summary Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the W by Sat morning).
	Tue 21		Wednesday 22			Thursday 23			Friday 24			Saturday 25			Sunday 26			Monday 27
	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night
Rating (10 max)	0	3	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	SSW 14	S 14	SSW 6	S 9	S 10	S 10	S 16	SSW 15	S 15	S 14	S 13	SE 9	SSW 12	NE 6	SSW 13
Wave Graph
kJ	448	471	373	336	205	178	146	298	1664	1424	1370	490	300	171	195	222	95	58	137	59
Wind (km/h)	ENE	N	NNE	NE	NNE	NNE	SSW	SW	SSW	S	SSW	ESE	E	N	NNE	NE	NNE	NNE	NE	NNE
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy	cross-on	cross-off	cross-off	cross	cross-off	cross-off	cross	cross	cross-on	cross-on	cross-on	on	cross-on	cross-off	cross-off	cross	cross-off	cross-off	cross	cross-off
High Tide		8:33PM1.46m	8:47AM1.29m		9:32PM1.32m	10:08AM1.18m		11:12PM1.25m	12:16PM1.17m		00:57AM1.28m	1:41PM1.27m		2:00AM1.39m		2:30PM1.40m	2:42AM1.52m		3:06PM1.53m	3:16AM1.64m
Low Tide	2:09PM0.51m	2:47AM0.66m		2:59PM0.66m	3:58AM0.76m		4:23PM0.77m		5:50AM0.78m	6:21PM0.77m		7:24AM0.69m	7:41PM0.68m		8:17AM0.56m		8:30PM0.55m	8:55AM0.43m		9:06PM0.43m


	—	—	6:41	—	—	6:39	—	—	6:39	—	—	6:39	—	—	6:39	—	—	6:37	—	—
	5:14	—	—	5:15	—	—	5:15	—	—	5:15	—	—	5:15	—	—	5:16	—	—	5:16	—
mm	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Temp °C	23	21	23	26	21	24	24	20	19	19	20	19	19	18	19	21	18	20	23	20
Feels °C	21	21	20	23	19	22	24	20	12	13	14	18	17	16	15	16	14	15	18	16
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	SE 12	ENE 7	SE 12	SE 11	SE 11	S 10	SE 8	SE 8	SE 8	ESE 8	SE 9	SE 9	SE 8	ESE 8	ESE 8
kJ	448	471	373	336	205	142	70	108	63	43	637	169	187	171	117	145	95	58	47	38
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	S 12	S 16	S 15	S 14	S 13	S 14	SE 12	ENE 7	NE 6	SE 11	S 17	S 9	S 9	S 9	SSE 9	S 13	S 12	SSW 12	SSW 14	SSW 13
kJ	72	188	218	253	125	106	142	30	7	43	562	162	136	83	98	222	78	49	69	59
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	S 17	SSW 11	E 9	—	—	SSW 14	S 14	E 9	E 10	ENE 10	SE 8	S 16	SSW 15	S 15	S 14	SE 10	S 16	SSW 15	—	S 17
kJ	51	85	6	—	—	178	146	6	2	10	113	490	300	155	195	25	46	45	—	22
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s)	E 3	NE 4	NE 4	NE 5	NE 6	ENE 6	—	SSW 6	S 9	S 10	S 10	—	—	—	NE 3	ENE 5	NE 5	NE 6	NE 6	NE 6
kJ	5	10	16	110	100	67	—	298	1664	1424	1370	—	—	—	9	63	103	67	137	89
Nearest Offshore or Glassy	Reunion Durban/KZN South	Richards Bay (Inside) KZN North	Reunion Durban/KZN South	Cintsa East Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Blythedale KZN North	Mntafufu Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Alkantstrand KZN North	Kosi Bay KZN North	Whispering Waves Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Mntafufu Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Senoritas KZN North	Reunion Durban/KZN South	Reunion Durban/KZN South	Richards Bay (Inside) KZN North	Haga-Haga Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Flat Rocks (Port Elizabeth) Eastern Cape (S)	Sodwana KZN North	Reunion Durban/KZN South	Feldskoen and Mazeppa Bays Eastern Cape - Wild Coast	Salt Rock KZN North
Rating (10 max)	3	3	3	3	2	3	3	1	4	4	4	2	2	2	3	2	2	1	2	1
Distance (km)	156	0	156	587	98	391	1	229	559	391	0	156	156	0	577	838	204	156	488	116
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast		Richards Bay (Outside)	Kosi Bay		Umhlanga		Alkantstrand	Kosi Bay			Umhlanga			Richards Bay (Outside)			Kosi Bay			Umhlanga
Rating (10 max)		3	3		3		3	1			4			2			2			3
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Vredenberg Point West Coast	Hout Bay Cape Town	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Hout Bay Cape Town	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Fish Boma Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Paranoia Overberg	Paranoia Overberg	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Koeel Bay Overberg
Rating (10 max)	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	6	7	5	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Header Global	Albatross South Africa	Cobblestones Australia	Cobblestones Australia	Cobblestones Australia	Aganoa Beach Samoa	Aufaga Village Samoa	Blackfellows Australia	Dolphin Point South Africa	Boneyards South Africa	Sea Vista South Africa	Boneyards South Africa	Cape St Martin South Africa	Charleston New Zealand	Raglan-Indicators New Zealand	Raglan-Indicators New Zealand	Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks New Zealand	Etang-Sale Reunion	Etang-Sale Reunion	Easter Reef Australia	Trial Harbour Australia
Rating (10 max)	4	6	5	5	4	4	4	9	8	6	5	5	5	9	5	5	6	7	7	9

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

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Ben Mondy

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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.

Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Richards Bay (Inside) this week:

The Lowdown

Short Range Forecast

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

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Quick surf report for Richards Bay (Inside):

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Information about the Richards Bay (Inside) Surf forecast