Riet River Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.58° S 26.93° E

Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 01 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Riet River sea temperature is
19.7° C
0.1° 

Riet River surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Riet River surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with 3,083 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with SW 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Riet River in the next 16 days are 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 12s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 5th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 11s
Best Surf 5AM (Thu 6th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 14s
Most Powerful 2PM (Thu 6th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Overall, it’s a mixed bag for Riet River. We’ve got some solid pulses of energy coming through, but the wind is gonna be the main character here, often making it a battle. The first few days are a write-off, but there’s a couple of windows that look promising if you time it right.

The first half of the week is pretty grim. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are a complete no-go. The swell is either tiny or messy, and that ENE wind is just cross-on and lumpy, making a mess of anything. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday the 3rd morning offers a glimmer of hope with a 7 ft swell from the ESE, but that light cross-on breeze is still a bit of a spoiler. It’s marginal at best. The energy is moderate (1237), but unless you’re desperate, I’d give it a miss.

Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th are still pretty average. The wind is all over the shop, and the swell is small and unimpressive. Not worth paddling out.

Now, Thursday the 6th is where it gets interesting. We’ve got a decent 8 ft to 10 ft SSW groundswell with a solid period of 13-14 seconds. The energy is strong (2091 to 2820), and the wind is clean cross-off from the WSW. This is a serious swell. But, and this is a big but, that size is right in the expert-only zone. Riet River is a point break, so it should handle that long period well, but it’s going to be a beast. The sets will be big and powerful. This is a true standout for the experienced crew.

Friday the 7th drops off a bit. The swell is still there at 8 ft, but the wind swings back to the cross-on, ruining the surface. The energy is still strong (1805), but it’s choppy. Saturday the 8th morning has clean cross-off winds again, but the wind is fresh at 30 km/h (19 mph), and by the afternoon it’s a near gale. That’s more for the kite crew than paddle surfers, honestly.

Sunday the 9th, the wind goes offshore from the W, but it’s strong. The swell drops to 6 ft, but the wave energy is moderate (1043). It’s clean, but it’ll be a mission to paddle into. The following week fades into smaller, wind-affected slop, with a few little pulses of long period energy (18 seconds) on the 15th, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s not worth the effort.

If I had to call it, the standout is Thursday the 6th. That 8 ft to 10 ft SSW groundswell with clean cross-off wind is the best we’ll see. But it’s for the big wave hunters only. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the NE by Mon morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sat
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
2
3
0
2
1
0
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
2
2
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SSW
11
0.4
SW
11
2.3
ESE
12
0.7
SSW
14
2.3
ESE
11
2
ESE
11
1
SSW
13
1.5
ESE
10
1
SW
12
1
SW
12
0.9
SW
11
0.8
SW
11
0.9
SSW
15
1.6
SSW
14
2.3
SSW
14
3
SSW
13
2.5
SSW
13
2.4
SSW
13
2.3
SSW
12
2.1
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
87
44
1652
161
1186
883
357
416
282
273
202
140
339
915
2091
2820
1990
1805
1571
1427
Wind (km/h)
35
ENE
30
NE
30
NE
30
ENE
15
NE
10
NE
20
ENE
15
NNE
15
N
15
ENE
20
WSW
15
SW
10
E
25
WSW
20
WSW
25
SW
5
NNE
20
NE
15
ENE
10
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
off
cross-off
on
off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
5:30PM1.60m
5:35AM1.49m
5:59PM1.59m
6:06AM1.44m
6:31PM1.55m
6:40AM1.35m
7:08PM1.47m
7:21AM1.24m
7:53PM1.37m
8:14AM1.12m
8:57PM1.25m
9:44AM1.01m
10:43PM1.17m
Low Tide
11:36PM0.17m
11:42AM0.08m
00:08AM0.20m
12:12PM0.13m
00:43AM0.25m
12:45PM0.21m
1:24AM0.33m
1:25PM0.32m
2:16AM0.44m
2:19PM0.45m
3:35AM0.53m
3:48PM0.56m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:01
7:01
7:01
7:00
6:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:32
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:35
5:36
5:37
 mm
Temp °C
17
15
17
20
17
20
23
19
25
29
25
21
21
18
17
18
16
19
21
18
Feels °C
10
8
11
14
13
17
20
15
20
25
21
18
21
18
14
14
15
16
20
19
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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