Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’re looking at the next couple of weeks at Richards Bay (Inside) and there’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some promising windows for clean surf.

The first part of the week starts off pretty average. Wednesday 15 July morning is the best of the early days with the water temp sitting at 72°, which is about average for this time of year. We’ve got a clean 6 ft ESE swell, glassy conditions, and the combined energy is moderate (640). It’s not huge, but it’s clean and surfable, and with the NW offshore wind, it’ll be a fun session for intermediates. The crowds can show up sometimes, so keep that in mind.

Friday 17 July morning is another decent shout. The swell drops to 3 ft from the ESE, but we’ve got a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE making it clean. The energy is weaker (271), but for a laid-back wave, it’s a good pick.

Now, Sunday 19 July morning is a real standout. Glassy conditions with a light SSW breeze, and a 3 ft SSE swell at 11 seconds. The energy is moderate (297), and it’ll be clean as a whistle. This is the kind of morning you wake up early for.

The big news comes later in the second week. On Wednesday 22 July morning, we’ve got a solid 6 ft S swell, but with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1414), and the wind is cross-off from the N, keeping it clean. This is a proper groundswell, and at a sandbar, the long period might make it a bit straight, but it’s still a great option for the more experienced surfer.

But hold on – Thursday 23 July afternoon is a beast. The swell is predicted at 13 ft from the S with a period of 12 seconds, and the energy is extreme (4446). The wind is onshore from the SE, but the commentary says wind and tide are favorable. However, this is way too big for most. It’s strictly for experts only, and honestly, it might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at that size.

After that, things taper off. The second week has a few mornings with smaller, cleaner swells, like Saturday 25 July morning with 4 ft from the SSE and a cross-off breeze, but the energy is moderate (589). The very end of the forecast period sees a return of short-period, weak swell from the E, so it’s not worth getting excited about.

The standout is definitely Sunday 19 July morning for a clean, glassy session, and the big S swell on 22 July for the experienced crew. The 23 July big swell is for experts only, and it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty out.

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