Surf Forecasts:
Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 18s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, S swell with 2,534 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with SSE 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m 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 2.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Richards Bay (Inside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's have a look at what's lined up for us here in Richards Bay. To be dead straight with you, the first proper week is a bit of a write-off. We've got a solid run of days where the wind and conditions just aren't playing ball, so don't rush to get your wetsuit on just yet.
The whole stretch kicks off from Monday the 24th of August right through to about Saturday the 5th of September. That’s a long, frustrating window where the wind is either a nasty cross or cross-onshore, and the water’s just choppy and messy. While the sandbar at Richards Bay (Inside) does get some south swell with heights between 2ft and 8ft, the wind keeps ruining it. The combined swell energy is moderate to strong, hitting up to 1459 at one point, but it doesn't matter if it's blown out. You'll be scratching your head more than surfing.
The only real standout, and I do mean the *only* one to get excited about, is the very tail-end of the forecast. It's a long-range call, so take it with a pinch of salt, but Tuesday the 8th of September looks promising. The morning session shows a solid 7ft east swell, and with a light cross-onshore breeze, it could clean up enough to be rideable. The combined swell energy is moderate (770), and with an east swell direction matching what the spot likes, this is the window to aim for. That afternoon stays similar at 7ft, but the wind might get a bit more onshore.
Bottom line: don't hold your breath for the next two weeks. The first week is a complete loss, and the second week only offers that one Tuesday morning as a glimmer of hope. For a spot like this, a blank run isn't that unusual when the wind gods aren't cooperating.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 24°C on Sun morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 16 | S 15 | S 17 | S 16 | S 18 | S 17 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 231 | 116 | 254 | 458 | 930 | 734 | 1351 | 2534 | 1175 | 700 | 411 | 314 | 193 | 144 | 215 | 129 | 143 | 763 | 794 | 325 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:24PM1.40m | 2:31AM1.51m | 2:52PM1.57m | 2:59AM1.66m | 3:19PM1.74m | 3:26AM1.79m | 3:44PM1.88m | 3:52AM1.89m | 4:10PM1.98m | 4:18AM1.96m | 4:36PM2.05m | 4:45AM1.98m | 5:03PM2.07m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:24PM0.57m | 8:41AM0.42m | 8:53PM0.41m | 9:07AM0.27m | 9:21PM0.27m | 9:32AM0.14m | 9:47PM0.16m | 9:58AM0.04m | 10:14PM0.08m | 10:24AM-0.03m | 10:42PM0.03m | 10:50AM-0.05m | 11:10PM0.03m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 21 |
Feels °C | 20 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 16 | S 15 | S 17 | S 16 | S 18 | S 17 | S 14 | S 14 | ESE 7 | E 7 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 231 | 116 | 254 | 458 | 930 | 734 | 1351 | 2534 | 1175 | 700 | 212 | 215 | 193 | 144 | 215 | 129 | 143 | 763 | 794 | 325 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | SSW 15 | SSE 9 | S 8 | ENE 5 | ESE 7 | ENE 13 | — | — | SE 7 | S 13 | S 13 | S 16 | SSE 16 | — | SSW 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 6 | 74 | 86 | 36 | 2 | 5 | 17 | — | — | 135 | 411 | 314 | 5 | 49 | — | 12 | 56 | 25 | 12 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 12 | NE 4 | SE 7 | E 9 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | S 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 |
| kJ | — | 15 | 5 | 27 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 135 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | SSW 4 | — | — | — | ESE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | N 5 | NE 8 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 22 | 11 | 16 | — | 12 | — | — | — | 141 | 198 | 100 | 102 | 607 | 480 | 483 | 691 | 558 | 64 | 1295 | 268 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 156 | 0 | 155 | 439 | 1 | 76 | 1 | 0 | 1007 | 1007 | 665 | 563 | 855 | 204 | 665 | 626 | 558 | 488 | 577 | 116 |
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Richards Bay (Inside) surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest