Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with 6,262 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SSW 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 (Jul 21) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 1.1m and 10s is also forecast. 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Riet River. Let me tell you, this is a strange run of swell. The water is way colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 63°, which is a full 5° below normal. That’s a proper winter bite in the water.
We’ve got a bit of a wait for the good stuff. The forecast kicks off on Tuesday the 21st of July, but it’s not until the early morning that we see a window. The first session is a glassy, clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period. The energy is moderate (994), and with that deep, long period, the wave shape at this point should be incredible. It’s a slow, methodical swell, perfect for picking off clean lines. The wind is glassy, so it’s going to be a beautiful, uncrowded morning. After that, it builds into the afternoon, but the wind swings onshore and the quality drops.
The real standout of the whole outlook is Friday the 24th of July. The early morning brings a massive 12ft SSW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The energy is insane (6332), and the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze. This is expert territory – over 8ft and powerful. This is a big, heavy, perfect point break wave. It’s a rare day when the stars align like this. After that, it drops a touch but stays solid right through the weekend.
Later on, into the first week of August, we see another giant pulse. On Saturday the 1st of August, a 16ft SW swell arrives. The energy is off the charts (7352), but the wind is a problem. The morning is rideable with a cross-off shore, but it quickly turns onshore. By Sunday the 2nd, it’s a complete mess with strong cross-onshore winds. That 16ft swell is just going to be a washing machine for anyone but the most experienced chargers, and even then, it’s dangerous.
There are a few other mornings worth mentioning. The 25th of July is clean and glassy with a 7ft SSW swell, and the 29th of July has an 8ft SSW swell, but the wind is a light cross-shore, which isn't ideal. The 5th of August offers a nice 5ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period, but the wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s not the classic clean Riet River wave.
If you’re looking for one day to score, it’s Friday the 24th of July. That’s the one. Otherwise, the 21st of July morning is a beautiful, quiet session. For the rest of the time, either the wind is bad or the swell is too big and messy. Riet River is inconsistent, so this burst of size is a big deal, but you have to pick your windows carefully.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 31°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 400 | 1091 | 1643 | 1083 | 843 | 1154 | 624 | 421 | 1798 | 6262 | 4769 | 2585 | 1887 | 1913 | 1594 | 919 | 734 | 539 | 1214 | 585 | 850 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 8:07AM1.11m | 8:43PM1.22m | 9:04AM1.01m | 9:48PM1.11m | 10:42AM0.94m | 11:28PM1.07m | 12:38PM0.97m | 00:57AM1.11m | 1:46PM1.07m | 1:54AM1.19m | 2:30PM1.17m | 2:35AM1.29m | 3:05PM1.28m | 3:09AM1.38m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:08PM0.46m | 3:06AM0.57m | 3:01PM0.58m | 4:25AM0.63m | 4:30PM0.66m | 6:15AM0.62m | 6:27PM0.66m | 7:32AM0.54m | 7:41PM0.58m | 8:19AM0.44m | 8:27PM0.48m | 8:54AM0.33m | 9:03PM0.38m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — |
 | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 26 | 31 | 27 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 21 | 26 | 23 | 12 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | ENE 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 354 | 1091 | 1643 | 1083 | 843 | 1154 | 624 | 421 | 1798 | 6262 | 4769 | 2585 | 1887 | 1913 | 1594 | 919 | 734 | 539 | 160 | 581 | 850 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | S 20 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ENE 5 | E 7 | ENE 8 | S 17 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 240 | 360 | 278 | 280 | 251 | 205 | 142 | 112 | 90 | 70 | 47 | 194 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 27 | 94 | 211 | 207 | 82 | 44 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 5 | E 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 20 | — | — | SE 11 | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | — | S 20 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 400 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 39 | 54 | 48 | 35 | 239 | — | — | 30 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 3 | NE 6 | SW 3 | WSW 5 | SW 6 | SW 6 | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | — | SW 11 | SW 7 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 9 | 69 | 4 | 56 | 77 | 224 | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 7 | 42 | 145 | — | 1214 | 585 | 456 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 110 | 0 | 123 | 139 | 123 | 0 | 135 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 540 | 332 | 329 |
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.
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