Richards Bay (Outside) Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa)

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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*:
Sandbar	4	very consistent	24.2°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.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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)

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:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 04:19 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	5AM	8AM	11AM	2PM
Wave (m)	S	S	S	S
Period (s)	13	13	13	12
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	off	cross- on	on

Tides at Richards Bay (Outside)

Current tide and informaton

For Alkantstrand, 0 km from Richards Bay (Outside).

Next High Water: 05:12am | 1.74m

Next Low Water: 11:22am | 0.26m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Richards Bay (Outside) Sea Temperature

Sunny with very warm air temperatures, feeling like 25.0 °C once we account for any wind. Sea temperatures (24.2 °C) warm too. Staying warm in the water won't be a problem in board-shorts, but wear at least a rash-vest to keep the UV off.

Today, many surfers would wear a rashvest wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 24.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite