
Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 7,211 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 12s period. 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 4.5m 13s 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 2.4m 11s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.
Alright, so the outlook for the next 16 days is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a real feast-or-famine situation. The first week is mostly a write-off, but the second week has some serious potential, especially if you’re an experienced surfer.
The first few days, from Friday the 31st of July right through to Sunday the 10th of August, are mostly a bust. The wind is just rubbish – onshore and cross-onshore, ruining any chance of clean waves. There's a little window on Tuesday the 4th of August afternoon with a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny at 3 ft from the SW, so it's not really worth getting excited about. The same goes for Wednesday the 5th of August, with a small 3 ft SSW swell and a very long 16-second period, but the wind is a bit cross-on. For the most part, it’s a long, frustrating stretch of flat, choppy, or just plain messy conditions.
Now, Thursday the 6th of August is a wake-up call. The swell jumps to a solid 13 ft from the SW, packing a massive 5436 units of energy. That’s some serious power. But it’s a big, raw swell. It’s way too big for beginners and only for the hardcore crew. The morning looks clean with a cross-off wind, but the afternoon gets lumpy and cross-shore. It’s a big day, but not a friendly one.
The real standout comes on Saturday the 8th of August. The morning is looking magic. We’ve got a clean 7 ft swell from the SSW, a 14-second period, and a glassy cross-offshore wind from the SSW at just 3 mph. This is where Riet River (Riet-River) will be firing. The water temp is about 68°, which is normal for the time of year. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes", so you might have some company, but with that kind of quality, it’s expected. The 7 ft is a solid size - it’s not for novices, but for the intermediate crew, it’s going to be a dream.
Then, on the final weekend, Saturday the 15th of August, we get a late reward. The morning has a clean 7 ft SW swell with a nice offshore wind from the WNW at just 6 mph. This is another excellent window for experienced surfers. The afternoon is even better: a clean 7 ft SW swell and it turns glassy. Zero wind. That’s the kind of session you wait all year for. It’s a late bloomer, but a true standout.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a slog. Don’t bother. Focus your energy on the morning of Saturday the 8th of August, and the afternoon of Saturday the 15th of August. That’s where the magic is.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Sat morning, light winds from the NNE by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SW 13 | ESE 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
606 | 430 | 216 | 147 | 87 | 44 | 1728 | 1505 | 172 | 834 | 299 | 260 | 287 | 278 | 205 | 114 | 463 | 1291 | 5256 | 5212 | 3708 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | on |
High Tide | 5:02PM1.58m | 5:06AM1.52m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:47AM0.06m | 11:05PM0.17m | 11:14AM0.05m | 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 | |||||||
7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 27 | 32 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 22 | 28 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | ESE 12 | SSW 13 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SW 10 | SSW 14 | E 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
517 | 430 | 216 | 147 | 87 | 44 | 1728 | 158 | 1291 | 834 | 740 | 630 | 414 | 313 | 273 | 171 | 212 | 1291 | 61 | 5212 | 3708 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | — | W 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | SW 12 | S 9 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 7 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 18 | E 10 | — |
606 | — | 6 | 11 | 25 | 33 | 74 | 16 | 172 | 163 | 299 | 260 | 287 | 278 | 205 | 57 | 164 | 133 | 180 | 44 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SW 12 | S 13 | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 20 | 30 | 15 | 86 | 114 | 3 | — | — | — | 26 | 114 | 463 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | NE 5 | ESE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | SW 6 | — | — | — | SW 13 | — | ENE 10 |
— | 553 | 732 | 664 | 766 | 849 | 64 | 1505 | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | 69 | — | — | — | 5256 | — | 120 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 331 | 386 | 133 | 239 | 329 | 134 | 239 | 161 | 16 | 5 | 142 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 123 | 0 | 123 | 190 | 331 |
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.











