Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with 6,678 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period with S 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 12s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Riet River in the next 16 days are 3.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, listen up. Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
We’re looking at a sixteen-day window for Riet River, and honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burner. The first few days are a write-off with strong winds and messy conditions, so you’re not missing a thing. The real action, if you can call it that, doesn’t start to show until the second week. There’s a gap of about four days at the start where there’s nothing worth paddling out for.
The standout window is from Tuesday the 8th of September, but even then, it’s a mixed bag. The best of the bunch is going to be Tuesday morning. The ocean will be glassy with a clean 4ft SSW swell, and the wind is dead calm. The combined energy is moderate (444), but it’s the clean conditions that make it special. For a point break like Riet River, that’s a lovely little session for the intermediate crew.
After that, the swell drops off, but keep an eye on the 13th of September (Sunday) afternoon. The wind swings offshore and you’ll see a solid 10ft SW swell, but with a short period of 7 seconds, it’s going to be a bit of a washing machine. The energy is strong (1287), but it’s definitely for experienced surfers only. The water temp is about 64°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.
Heading into the 16th, Wednesday morning, we get another glassy session with a 7ft SW swell at a nicer 13-second period. The energy is strong (1940), and the conditions will be clean, but again, this is for the more experienced crew. The 17th of September (Thursday) morning also has a clean offshore wind with a 5ft swell, but it’s a bit smaller.
Overall, don’t get too excited for the first week. The second week has a few promising windows, but the consistency is poor. The 8th of September morning is your best bet for a clean, fun wave, and the 16th of September morning is the one for the big wave hunters.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Mon morning, light winds from the NNE by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 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) | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 19 | S 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 494 | 541 | 469 | 2410 | 4265 | 5130 | 2441 | 1617 | 759 | 336 | 230 | 144 | 76 | 136 | 170 | 122 | 299 | 1193 | 679 | 442 | 330 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:34AM0.98m | 10:52PM1.07m | 12:18PM1.05m | 00:48AM1.17m | 1:30PM1.24m | 1:47AM1.32m | 2:15PM1.43m | 2:29AM1.45m | 2:52PM1.60m | 3:05AM1.55m | 3:25PM1.71m | 3:38AM1.60m | 3:57PM1.77m | 4:09AM1.62m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:49PM0.65m | 5:46AM0.59m | 6:29PM0.58m | 7:13AM0.43m | 7:41PM0.41m | 8:01AM0.27m | 8:26PM0.24m | 8:38AM0.13m | 9:04PM0.12m | 9:12AM0.03m | 9:37PM0.03m | 9:42AM-0.03m | 10:08PM-0.00m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 32 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 31 | 29 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 19 | S 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SW 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 7 |
| kJ | 494 | 541 | 469 | 2410 | 4265 | 5130 | 2441 | 1617 | 759 | 586 | 463 | 144 | 474 | 366 | 322 | 254 | 243 | 1193 | 679 | 442 | 186 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | WSW 11 | E 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | SSE 11 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 145 | 47 | 52 | 331 | 263 | — | — | — | 123 | 336 | 230 | 93 | 76 | 136 | 170 | 122 | 299 | 211 | 177 | 143 | 251 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | — | SSW 26 | E 11 | S 13 | — | — | — | SSE 11 | SW 13 | SSE 10 | SSW 16 | SSE 10 | SW 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSW 16 | S 7 | SE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 49 | — | 67 | 57 | 272 | — | — | — | 164 | 108 | 102 | 26 | 56 | 57 | 18 | 28 | 295 | 100 | 33 | 19 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | — | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | W 3 | WSW 4 | SW 6 | — | S 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 291 | 220 | 111 | 90 | 83 | 154 | 506 | 980 | 1047 | — | — | 404 | 747 | 493 | 7 | 14 | 36 | — | 130 | 244 | 330 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 567 | 567 | 149 | 301 | 567 | 386 | 329 | 329 | 16 | 0 | 135 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 123 | 110 | 0 | 167 | 142 | 61 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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