Riet River Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.58° S 26.93° E

Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 30 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Riet River sea temperature is
17.5°C
1.9° 

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 30 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 17s period, S swell with 12,705 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s 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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s 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 4.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) 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 1.1m 10s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Sun 30th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 9s
Best Surf 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sun 6th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Right, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Riet River. This is a point break that’s inconsistent, so when it does fire, you gotta be on it. The water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

The first real window of opportunity hits us on Sunday, the 30th of August. We’ve got a solid 6ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a 10-second period. The wind is a light 9 mph cross-off from the SW, which is going to keep the faces clean. The combined energy is moderate at 677 (moderate wave energy). It’s not huge, but it’s clean and the point will be offering up some proper lines. That’s the best on offer early on.

The next morning, Monday the 31st, the swell drops a touch to 5ft from the same SSW direction, but the period stretches to 11 seconds. The wind stays light and cross-off. It’s still good, but it’s a step down from Sunday. By Monday afternoon, the wind swings around and the quality drops off.

Now, get this. Tuesday the 1st of September morning looks like a real standout. The swell picks back up to 5ft, also from the SSW, with a very nice 12-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a dreamy 6 mph cross-off from the SW again. The energy is moderate at 650 (moderate wave energy). This is the cleanest, most lined-up surf of the early window. I’d be calling in sick for that one.

After that, things get messy. By Wednesday the 2nd, the swell jumps to 10ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, which is a lot of energy (3040 – strong wave energy). But the wind is onshore from the ESE, making it a washed-out, poor quality mess. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty. The wind just gets worse from there, with a big blow coming through Thursday and Friday. There’s a massive 15ft SSE swell on the 4th, but with 25 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s straight up dangerous and ugly. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

There’s a long stretch of poor conditions from the 2nd of September right through until the 10th. We’re talking over a week of blown-out, messy, or just tiny surf. The wind is either howling onshore or just in the wrong direction for this break.

Things start to look interesting again on Friday the 11th of September. It’s a tiny 2ft SSW swell, but with a very long 15-second period. The wind is dead calm, glassy. The energy is weak at 148 (weak wave energy), but with a point break, that long period will wrap in nicely for some super clean, peelable waves. It’s a rare, glassy moment.

The weekend of the 12th and 13th sees another pulse of swell, but it’s hampered by onshore winds, so keep your expectations low. Then on Monday the 14th of September, we get a 3ft SSW swell with a massive 17-second period. The wind is a clean 16 mph cross-off. The energy is moderate at 722 (moderate wave energy). This is a very long period groundswell, which will be perfect for this point. It’s a promising, long-range bet, but we’re in the second week, so it’s less certain.

Overall, the standout morning is Tuesday the 1st of September. The glassy session on Friday the 11th is a special bonus if you like empty, clean waves. The crowds are a possibility at this spot, but with the inconsistency, you’ll often have it to yourself.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Fri afternoon). Mainly strong winds.

Sun
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
2
1
1
3
1
4
5
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
SW
10
1.6
SW
10
1.4
SW
11
1.1
SW
11
1.1
SW
11
1.6
SW
12
1.9
SSW
12
2.4
SSW
13
3
SSW
14
2.4
SSW
14
2
SSW
13
1.8
SSW
12
1.5
SSW
11
5.5
S
10
4.5
SSE
11
3.5
SE
10
3
SE
9
2.1
ESE
9
1.3
SSW
11
2
SSW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
667
500
488
315
320
648
988
1979
3040
2099
1230
889
556
6289
5144
2650
1433
691
372
944
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
5
WSW
10
SW
10
SSE
5
N
10
SW
20
S
5
W
10
ESE
25
E
15
ENE
40
WSW
45
WSW
45
SSE
40
SE
25
SE
20
SE
20
ESE
10
E
15
SW
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
off
on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
4:59PM1.72m
5:10AM1.56m
5:28PM1.69m
5:40AM1.50m
6:00PM1.61m
6:14AM1.39m
6:35PM1.48m
6:52AM1.26m
7:19PM1.32m
7:44AM1.10m
8:26PM1.15m
9:34AM0.98m
10:52PM1.07m
Low Tide
11:09PM0.05m
11:13AM0.02m
11:39PM0.09m
11:43AM0.09m
00:13AM0.18m
12:16PM0.20m
00:51AM0.31m
12:55PM0.35m
1:41AM0.46m
1:50PM0.51m
3:08AM0.59m
3:49PM0.65m
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:31
6:31
6:28
6:28
6:26
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:55
 mm
20
2
1
2
Temp °C
17
16
16
16
16
17
17
16
17
18
19
20
22
18
17
16
16
16
15
15
Feels °C
13
14
15
14
16
16
15
17
17
16
17
19
16
14
10
10
12
13
13
14
  • Map Icons:
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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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