
Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 5 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SW swell with 4,043 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 5 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Riet River this week:
The surf forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 05) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Riet River in the next 16 days are 3.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 5th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, this is Rusty comin' at you with the full 16-day outlook for Riet River. No other spots on the radar worth talkin' about right now, so let's dig into what's on offer here.
The forecast kicks off with a bit of a slow start before we get some proper movement. There’s a gap right at the beginning: nothin’ really worth paddlin' out for on Sunday the 5th or Monday the 6th of July. The surf is small, the wind is messy, and the whole thing looks pretty lackluster. We’re talking a couple of days where you’re better off just watching the horizon.
Then things start to build. On Tuesday the 7th, we see the swell starting to kick, but the conditions are still a bit raw. By Wednesday the 8th, the swell gets more serious with a combined energy reading of 1859 (moderate to strong), and a 8ft swell from the SW at 13 seconds, but the wind is a fresh 35 km/h cross-off. The sets will be there, but that wind will make it a fight. Too much wind for a clean session, really.
Now, here’s where we get a true standout. Thursday the 9th of July, morning session. That’s the one you want to be awake for. The swell jumps to 12ft from the SW with a 12-second period, and the combined energy hits 6592 – that's strong wave energy, no question. The wind is a moderate cross-off at 20 km/h, and the break is clean. This isn't for beginners; this is for experienced surfers who know how to handle a solid point break. That much swell will be a beast.
Things get ugly after that peak. Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are blown out by strong onshore winds and even some thunderstorm risk. The swell is still solid, but the quality is gone. You can write those days off.
There’s a short window on Sunday the 12th of July morning where we get some offshore wind with a 7ft ESE swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds. It’ll be clean but a bit weak and won't hold together like the groundswell we had earlier.
We then move into a lull. The middle of the week, from July 13th to 16th, is all small, weak, or messy. Some glassy conditions on the 15th, but with only 2ft on offer, it’s not worth the hype.
Then, another standout shows up on the horizon, further out. Friday the 17th of July, afternoon session. The swell is back to 10ft from the S at 10 seconds, with a combined energy of 2011. The wind is a light cross-off, and the conditions are described as "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This one looks promising, though we’re a week and a half out, so treat it with a little caution.
Following that, Saturday the 18th morning has a nice 8ft swell with clean offshore wind, and then Sunday the 19th of July morning is another real gem. The swell is a solid 6ft from the SSW with a long 12-second period, and best of all – it’s glassy. Wind is dead calm out of the WSW at 5 km/h. The combined energy is 1353 (moderate), and the water temp is 64°F, which is a couple of degrees colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit. That morning will be the kind of session you remember, with clean lines and light crowds possible at this inconsistent point break. That’s your pick.
By the 20th, the wind swings onshore again, and we’re back to choppy, less appealing surf. So, to sum it up: the best windows are Thursday the 9th morning for the big, powerful stuff (experts only), and Sunday the 19th morning for that glassy, clean, long-period goodness. Don't sleep on those.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed afternoon, calm by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
583 | 463 | 273 | 166 | 455 | 437 | 669 | 657 | 635 | 966 | 1724 | 2840 | 3928 | 2682 | 3663 | 3394 | 2996 | 2531 | 1252 | 1175 | 671 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 7:05PM1.42m | 7:11AM1.27m | 7:47PM1.38m | 7:59AM1.19m | 8:39PM1.34m | 9:03AM1.11m | 9:47PM1.30m | 10:28AM1.07m | 11:10PM1.29m | 12:03PM1.10m | 00:33AM1.34m | 1:20PM1.20m | 1:42AM1.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:43PM0.23m | 1:15AM0.38m | 1:21PM0.29m | 2:04AM0.42m | 2:07PM0.36m | 3:05AM0.46m | 3:07PM0.44m | 4:23AM0.48m | 4:27PM0.49m | 5:50AM0.44m | 5:57PM0.47m | 7:07AM0.36m | 7:17PM0.39m | ||||||||
7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | |
— | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Temp °C | 18 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | ESE 8 |
583 | 463 | 273 | 166 | 455 | 437 | 669 | 657 | 635 | 966 | 23 | 16 | 2664 | 2682 | 3663 | 3394 | 2996 | 2531 | 1252 | 1175 | 372 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 12 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | SSW 18 | ESE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | — | SSE 6 | E 7 | SSW 12 |
156 | 93 | 53 | 154 | 154 | 82 | 67 | 29 | 62 | 41 | 127 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 15 | — | 47 | 144 | 671 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | — | — | — | — |
123 | 82 | 101 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 48 | 34 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 3 | — | W 2 | — | NE 7 | — | SW 4 | — | WSW 4 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | ESE 6 | E 7 | — |
— | 4 | — | 1 | — | 47 | — | 12 | — | 15 | 1724 | 2840 | 3928 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 230 | 199 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 110 | 20 | 0 | 138 | 329 | 123 | 123 | 123 | 0 | 88 | 386 | 351 | 329 | 332 | 135 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Riet River Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Riet River provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Riet River can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Riet River 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 (Riet River) 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 Riet River 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Eastern Cape (South)? If you are looking for accommodation near Riet River, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Eastern Cape (South), consider staying in Port Alfred which is 5 km (3 miles) away. Other places in and around Eastern Cape (South) where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Grahamstown which is 48 km (30 miles) away, Bisho and Fort Beaufort.










