Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, S swell with 4,888 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m 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 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get real about Riet River. This is a classic point break that doesn't fire all the time, so you gotta be ready to go when it does. Right now, the water's running about 65°, which is a couple degrees cooler than usual for this time of year.
The next few days are a bust. You've got cross-onshore winds and some rain, with swell mostly in the 6ft to 8ft range, but it's all blown to bits and choppy. The combined wave energy is moderate to strong. Don't waste your time Sunday or Monday unless you enjoy getting tossed around. Tuesday and Wednesday are just as ugly with onshore winds turning it into a mess.
Thursday, July 30th, is where things start looking up. Thursday morning looks clean with light NNW winds (6 mph) and a 5ft SSW groundswell at 13 seconds. The energy is moderate, and you might find some clean little lines. Thursday afternoon stays clean with a bit more push. It's not epic, but it's rideable.
Now, the real one to circle is Monday, August 3rd. That's over a week out, so keep tabs on it. Monday morning brings light SW winds (6 mph) and a 5ft SSW groundswell at a long 16 seconds. Energy is moderate, but with that very long period and clean conditions, Riet River will be serving up some proper, well-shaped waves. This is for the experienced crew – long period groundswell can be tricky on a point, but when it lines up here, it's magic. Monday afternoon holds the same quality with a light breeze.
There's a dry spell after that with cross-onshores ruining Tuesday through Wednesday. But look ahead to Friday, August 7th. The morning session is looking excellent with barely any wind (NNW 3 mph) and a 7ft SSW swell hitting. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpy, but with that size and clean glassy conditions, it's a chance for some fun, punchy waves. Saturday, August 8th is another good dawn patrol with light WSW offshore winds and a 7ft SW swell at 12 seconds – clean and well-shaped.
The last big one in the window is Sunday, August 9th. Expect a solid 8ft SW swell with near-gale offshore winds (31 mph). That's a ton of power and it's for experts only. The swell is big and the wind is howling, making it incredibly hard to paddle into, but if you make it out, the waves will be thick and barreling. Be warned, it's a mission.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 41mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sun morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1163 | 782 | 492 | 647 | 1217 | 2241 | 2576 | 1822 | 1513 | 1110 | 994 | 793 | 700 | 663 | 679 | 555 | 370 | 282 | 352 | 399 | 281 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:30PM1.17m | 2:35AM1.29m | 3:05PM1.28m | 3:09AM1.38m | 3:36PM1.38m | 3:40AM1.45m | 4:05PM1.47m | 4:09AM1.50m | 4:34PM1.54m | 4:37AM1.52m | 5:02PM1.58m | 5:06AM1.52m | 5:30PM1.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:19AM0.44m | 8:27PM0.48m | 8:54AM0.33m | 9:03PM0.38m | 9:24AM0.24m | 9:35PM0.30m | 9:52AM0.15m | 10:06PM0.24m | 10:20AM0.09m | 10:36PM0.20m | 10:47AM0.06m | 11:05PM0.17m | 11:14AM0.05m | 11:36PM0.17m | |||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — |
 | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 1163 | 782 | 389 | 647 | 1217 | 2241 | 2576 | 1822 | 1513 | 1110 | 994 | 374 | 397 | 360 | 679 | 555 | 347 | 223 | 352 | 399 | 281 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | S 16 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | E 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SE 12 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 73 | 251 | 125 | 69 | 446 | 40 | 11 | 226 | 101 | 118 | 83 | 793 | 700 | 663 | 314 | 211 | 114 | 282 | 112 | 108 | 60 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | SE 9 | SSW 14 | S 16 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | S 12 | S 12 | E 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | — | S 8 | — | SSW 8 | E 12 | ESE 8 | SW 11 | S 13 |
| kJ | 151 | 37 | 492 | 195 | 49 | 37 | — | 12 | 11 | 57 | 8 | 6 | 5 | — | 1 | — | 75 | 25 | 7 | 79 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | ENE 4 | — | SW 6 | SW 7 | S 8 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | W 3 | — | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 6 | E 7 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 26 | — | 171 | 214 | 432 | 452 | 108 | 225 | 181 | 265 | 16 | 16 | — | 2 | — | 370 | 347 | 233 | 537 | 922 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 125 | 5 | 328 | 190 | 243 | 386 | 16 | 270 | 287 | 291 | 16 | 0 | 123 | 0 | 110 | 167 | 96 | 361 | 331 | 135 |
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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