Richards Bay (Outside) Surf Break

Richards Bay (Outside) Surf Guide

Lat Long: 28.80° S 32.10° E

Issued: 1 pm 19 Jun 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Richards Bay (Outside) sea temperature is
22.6° C

Normal for this time of year

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

Richards Bay (Outside) Surf Guide

Richards Bay (Outside) in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast is an exposed sandbar break that has very consistent surf. Summer offers the best conditions for surfing. Works best in offshore winds from the northwest with some shelter here from southwest winds. Groundswells and windswells are equally likely and the ideal swell direction is from the south. The sandbar breaks consists of rights. The quality of the surf isn't affected by the tide. When it's working here, it can get crowded. Hazards include rips, shark protected,.

Richards Bay (Outside) Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Sandbar4very consistent
22.6°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Richards Bay (Outside):

The best conditions reported for surf at Richards Bay (Outside) occur when a South swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northwest.

What's the best time of year to surf Richards Bay (Outside) (for consistent clean waves)?

juneBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Richards Bay (Outside) with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of June. Clean surfable waves are typically found 29% of the time in June while 48% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 23% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
29%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
48%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
23%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Richards Bay (Outside) Location Map

Interactive Richards Bay (Outside) surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail.

  • 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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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Richards Bay (Outside) Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Friday, 19 June 2026, 15:54 Local Time
Friday 19Sat
5PM8PM11PM2AM
Wave (m)
2.3
S
1.9
S
1.7
SSE
1.9
SSE
Period (s) 7 8 8 13
Wind (km/h)
30
20
15
10
Wind State cross-
on		 cross-
on		 cross-
on		 cross-
on

Tides at Richards Bay (Outside)

Current tide and informaton
For Alkantstrand, 0 km from Richards Bay (Outside).
Next High Water: 07:03pm | 1.73m
Tidal range Clock
Next Low Water: 01:10am | 0.42m
IS AT (local time)

Richards Bay (Outside) Sea Temperature

Warm in and out of the water temperature at Richards Bay (Outside) today, but forecast to be overcast. With sea temperatures of 22.6 °C and a wind chill of 21.0 °C, most surfers will choose a shorty or a summer suit or just board shorts.

Today, many surfers would wear a shorty.
Current Temp*: 22.6°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite
water-temp
South Africa Sea TemperatureView Sea Temp Map

Swell History at Richards Bay (Outside)

Surf stats for Richards Bay (Outside), see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Richards Bay (Outside) Location Map
Average Swell
View Swell Statistics

Wind History at Richards Bay (Outside)

Wind stats for Richards Bay (Outside), see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Richards Bay (Outside) Location Map
Average Wind
View Wind Statistics

Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

Discover surf breaks near Richards Bay (Outside). Click below to view there surf guides.

Wave Buoys Nearest To Richards Bay (Outside):

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