Richards Bay (Outside) Surf Forecast

/ KZN North (23 surf breaks) /

South Africa (276 surf breaks) / Lat Long: (28.80° S 32.10° E)

Surf Forecasts:

Richards Bay (Outside) surfForecast / KZN North / South Africa

48hr Weather and Surf, issued 7 pm Friday 22 May 2026 SAST

Forecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent

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

Today's Richards Bay (Outside) sea temperature is 23.5° C
(Which is normal for this time of year)

How big are the waves at Richards Bay (Outside) today?

The current surf forecast for Richards Bay (Outside) at 11PM is: 0.5m 11s primary swell from a South direction and 0.5m 11s secondary swell from a East direction (forecast issued at 07:00pm May 22). An open ocean swell of 1.1m 7s is not directed at the surf break, a second open ocean swell of 1.3m 6s is not directed at the surf break. The wind direction is predicted to be cross-offshore.

Time (SAST) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (22 May)	-	-
Afternoon (22 May)	2ft (0.6m)	11s
Evening (22 May)	1.5ft (0.5m)	11s

Table - waves today at Richards Bay (Outside). (Swell directed towards the surf break)

Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent

	Short Range Forecast Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 22°C on Fri night, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.
	Fri 22			Saturday 23								Sunday 24								Mon 25
	5 PM	8 PM	11 PM	2 AM	5 AM	8 AM	11 AM	2 PM	5 PM	8 PM	11 PM	2 AM	5 AM	8 AM	11 AM	2 PM	5 PM	8 PM	11 PM	2 AM	5 AM	8 AM	11 AM	2 PM
Rating (10 max)	0	0	0	1	1	2	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s)	E 11	E 11	E 11	S 11	S 11	E 11	E 11	E 11	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	SSE 12	SSE 12	E 10	SSE 11	SSE 11	SSE 11	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 10
Wave Graph
kJ	89	66	62	61	64	185	184	143	138	98	96	96	70	70	68	82	81	53	70	68	66	63	94	82
Wind (km/h)	NE	N	N	NNW	WSW	WSW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SSW	SSW	S	S	SW	SW	SSW	SW	SE	E
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy	cross	cross-off	cross-off	off	cross-off	cross-off	cross	cross	cross	cross	cross	cross	cross	cross	cross	cross-on	cross-on	cross-on	cross	cross	cross-on	glassy	glassy	cross-on
High Tide			8:17PM1.47m				8:38AM1.33m				9:44PM1.41m				10:12AM1.27m					11:14PM1.43m				11:42AM1.30m
Low Tide					2:30AM0.66m				2:57PM0.58m				4:05AM0.72m				4:26PM0.62m					5:37AM0.68m


	—	—	—	—	6:31	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6:31	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6:31	—	—	—
	5:05	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:04	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:04	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:04
mm	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	2	6	2	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—
Temp °C	24	22	20	19	19	19	21	22	22	22	21	20	20	19	21	22	21	21	21	21	21	21	22	22
Feels °C	22	22	19	19	19	18	20	22	22	22	21	19	20	19	20	21	20	21	22	22	22	22	23	21
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	E 11	ENE 6	ENE 7	E 6	E 6	E 11	E 11	E 11	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	E 10	SSE 11	SSE 11	SSE 11	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 10
kJ	89	149	111	84	64	185	184	143	138	98	96	96	70	70	68	48	48	47	70	68	66	63	94	82
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	S 12	E 11	E 11	S 11	S 11	S 11	S 10	S 10	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 10	SE 13	SSE 9	SE 12	SSE 12	SSE 12	SSE 12	E 9	E 9	SSE 4	SSE 4	E 9	E 9
kJ	72	62	61	61	61	58	53	51	33	33	32	31	41	16	37	82	81	53	44	40	11	8	40	42
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	S 20	S 11	S 11	E 11	E 11	SSE 17	SSE 16	SSE 15	SSE 14	SE 14	SSE 13	SE 13	SSE 9	SE 12	SSE 9	SSW 14	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 13	SSW 14	E 9	E 9	SSE 4	SSW 13
kJ	7	66	62	61	59	28	24	42	18	48	35	43	16	39	16	18	17	17	18	19	39	39	7	16
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s)	ENE 6	NNE 6	NNE 6	—	SW 2	SW 4	SW 4	SSW 5	SSW 5	S 5	S 5	S 5	S 5	SSW 5	S 5	S 5	S 4	S 4	S 4	SSE 4	—	SE 4	—	SE 4
kJ	153	123	112	—	1	13	19	27	42	53	55	43	34	40	28	22	19	14	9	10	—	9	—	6
Nearest Offshore or Glassy	Mtunzini KZN North	Mtunzini KZN North	Mtunzini KZN North	Richards Bay (Inside) KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Guinjata Bay Inhambane	Dairy Beach (New Pier) Durban/KZN South	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Alkantstrand KZN North	Reunion Durban/KZN South
Rating (10 max)	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	2	2	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Distance (km)	37	37	37	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	626	155	0	0	0	0	0	0	157
Best forecast wave conditions in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast	Siyayi	Umhlanga	Umhlanga	Richards Bay (Outside)	Umhlanga	Richards Bay (Outside)	Kosi Bay	Mapelane	Mapelane	Mapelane	Kosi Bay	Mapelane	Mapelane	Alkantstrand	Alkantstrand			Alkantstrand	Umhlanga	Mapelane	Umhlanga	Richards Bay (Outside)	Richards Bay (Outside)
Rating (10 max)	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1			1	1	1	1	1	1
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa	Hout Bay Cape Town	Hout Bay Cape Town	Vleesbaai Overberg	Hout Bay Cape Town	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	The Hoek Cape Town	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Paranoia Overberg	Paranoia Overberg	Hout Bay Cape Town	Gerickes Point Garden Route	Paranoia Overberg	Paranoia Overberg	Goukamma River Mouth Garden Route
Rating (10 max)	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	5
Header Global	Burleigh Heads Australia	Papatowai New Zealand	Currumbin Point Australia	Papatowai New Zealand	Saint Leu Reunion	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Cannibal Bay New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Etang-Sale Reunion	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Chameau Mauritius	Arrawarra Australia	The Hoek South Africa	Hell South Africa	Dolphin Point South Africa
Rating (10 max)	6	7	6	5	5	6	7	8	7	6	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	5	5	5

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Latest Updates

Ben Mondy

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Richards Bay (Outside) Surf Forecast

Richards Bay (Outside) surfForecast / KZN North / South Africa

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