Richards Bay (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s cut to the chase: the next couple of weeks at Richards Bay (Inside) are looking pretty bleak. We’ve got a long, frustrating stretch of poor surf ahead. The first week is essentially a write-off – messy winds, lumpy seas, and no real swell windows. You’d be better off rigging the kite than paddling out.

We start this Sunday the 16th with a 5ft east swell, but the ENE cross-breeze at 12 mph chops it all up. The energy is moderate at 582. No good. Monday the 17th has a tiny window in the morning with a cleaner 5ft ESE swell, but it’s only really marginal. The wind swings cross-off from the NNE at 12 mph, so there might be a few sneaky ones if those are desperate times, but the period is short at 10 seconds, and the energy’s still moderate at 407.

Tuesday and Wednesday are flat and poor. The swell drops right off – 4ft and then 3ft – with short, weak periods. The inside sandbar just won’t have any shape. Then Thursday the 20th, we get a pulse of south swell, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and the wind is howling from the SSW at 22 mph. That’s a messy 7ft, but it’s chopped to bits. Not worth it.

Now, here’s the first real glimmer of hope. Friday morning the 21st. The swell is still from the south, but the period jumps to 15 seconds, a proper groundswell, and the energy jumps up to 1334 – that’s strong. The swell height is a workable 6ft. The issue is the wind – it’s a cross-shore NE at 9 mph, which isn’t ideal. It’s listed as marginal, but if you’re keen, this is the first window where you might find a clean one on the sandbar, given the long period. But it’s a gamble with the tide.

After that, Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are back to poor. Saturday morning is tiny and clean, but just no swell. Sunday the 23rd, the swell builds into the afternoon, but it turns into a giant, stormy mess. Monday the 24th is when it gets serious. The swell is predicted to be way too big – 18ft on Monday morning with a 16-second period, and the energy reading is an enormous 25149. That’s a proper, heavy, angry ocean. Even though the wind and tide are favorable, this is beyond expert-level. Nobody’s surfing that at the inside sandbar; it’s dangerous. The afternoon eases to 12ft, but it’s still big and cross-onshore.

The rest of that week into the 28th is a mixed bag of inconsistent, lesser swells and fresh cross to cross-off winds. The water temp at the start of this whole run is around 70°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. You’ll want a 3/2 wetsuit, maybe a bootie for the cold mornings.

For the second week, the outlook stays poor. The 29th and 30th are messy with short-period east swells and choppy conditions. There’s a late note for the 31st – a 10ft south swell with a short 8-second period and light winds, but it’s predicted to be too big and junky for this break. The energy is strong at 1305, but the quality just isn’t there for a good paddle. The only real standout, if you can call it that, is that Friday morning on the 21st – it’s your best bet for some clean, long-period waves, but you’ll have to be patient and pick your tides. Everything else is a no-go.

It’s a tough run, mate. A lot of water moving, but none of it is lining up for this spot. Keep the board in the car, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more