Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks at Richards Bay (Inside). This spot is fairly open to a south swell, and we’ve got waves showing up, but you’ll need to time it right.

We kick off with a glassy Friday morning, 14 August. Water temp is 71°F, which is average for the time of year. The swell is 5 ft from the ESE, period at 8 seconds – so a shorter period wind swell – but with no wind it’s going to be super clean. The combined energy is moderate (488). This is a fine session for intermediates. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you won’t be alone, but it won’t be a zoo.

Friday afternoon the wind turns onshore and the quality drops, so get out there in the morning.

Saturday 15 August morning looks good. We’ve got 5 ft ESE swell, period stretching to 10 seconds, and a cross-offshore NNE breeze at 9 mph. Clean lines, moderate energy (391). Another solid window for intermediate surfers, but at 5 ft, it’s pushing the limit for beginners.

Sunday 16 August morning is the first real standout of the forecast. Swell is 5 ft from the east, period now 11 seconds, with a clean cross-offshore wind again. Combined energy is moderate (455), but that longer period gives the waves more push and shape. For a sandbar, this is proper fun. Crowds are possible but not guaranteed. This is the pick of the first week.

Monday 17 August morning is still surfable with clean conditions and 5 ft E swell, but the wind is stronger (12 mph) and energy dips (357). It’s a marginal call – could be worth a look if the tide is right.

From Monday afternoon through to Friday 22 August, it’s mostly a bust. Winds get messy, swell drops to 2-4 ft, and conditions are poor. There’s a brief window Tuesday 18 August morning – glassy, but the swell is small at 4 ft with 9 seconds and weak energy (215). It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary.

Then Sunday 23 August brings a serious change. A solid S swell arrives, 7 ft in the morning building to 8 ft by afternoon, period at 14 seconds. Combined energy jumps into the strong range (1846 then 2758). This is real groundswell. But the wind is cross-onshore at 12 mph, making it choppy. Experts only – this will be a fight.

Monday 24 August morning is the big-wave standout. We’ve got 8 ft S swell with a very long period of 15 seconds, and combined energy of 3173 – that’s a lot of power. The wind turns glassy, light offshore from the SSE. At Richards Bay Inside, this will be big, powerful, and clean. Experts only. This is the best session in the whole 16-day run, but it’s more than a week out, so stay tuned – forecasts change.

Monday afternoon the wind swings onshore again, and it gets messy.

From Tuesday 25 August onward, the swell drops right off. There are some clean mornings, like 28 August morning with tiny 1 ft SSW swell, but the energy is weak (75) and not worth paddling out.

So, the first standout is Sunday 16 August morning, and the second is Monday 24 August morning for the experts. There’s a dry spell from the 18th evening through the 22nd – about four days of flat or poor conditions.

- Rusty

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