Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, S swell with 3,360 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. 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 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Riet River.
We’ve got a slow start, but the second week is where the magic is hiding. The first few days are a write-off, with messy, cross-onshore winds and a lumpy ocean. The swell is there, but it’s not clean. The water is sitting at 66°F which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Tuesday the 28th kicks off with a 10ft South swell, but the SE wind is 16 mph, making it a choppy, cross-onshore mess. The combined energy is a massive 4041, but it’s just raw power with no shape. Not worth your time. Wednesday and Thursday are still poor, with onshore winds and marginal conditions. The swell drops through Friday and Saturday, down to 2ft on the 1st of August - that’s flat.
Sunday the 2nd is still a loss with tiny waves. But then, Monday the 3rd of August – things start to turn. The wind swings light and cross-off from the WSW, and the swell isn’t huge at 3ft to 4ft, but it’s clean. The energy is building (505). It’s a small, clean day for the longboard.
The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday the 10th of August. We’ve got an 12ft SSW groundswell, with a very long 17-second period, and the wind is a gentle offshore from the WSW. The combined energy is a massive 7029. This is a day for experienced surfers only – that’s too big for the average punter. The wave will be lined up, but at a point break like Riet River, that long period makes it a proper, powerful wave. It’s a rare, special day, but it’s eight days out, so keep an eye on the forecast.
Before that, Wednesday the 5th is also a gem. A 4ft to 5ft SSW swell with a 15-16 second period, clean cross-off winds, and a combined energy of 1287. That’s a beautiful, clean day for the intermediate crew. The break is inconsistent, so you might have to wait for the sets, but when they come, it’ll be worth it.
The 7th of August serves up a solid 8ft SSW swell with offshore WSW wind, but it’s getting big again. Expert territory. The 12th of August brings a clean 7ft SSW swell with a very long 16-second period and gentle offshore winds – another excellent day for the experienced.
The 11th of August is a write-off, with a 13ft swell and strong onshore winds. That’s just a washing machine. The 9th is too big and messy to be fun for paddling, might be a kite day.
So, to wrap it up: the first week is a bust. The 3rd of August is a small, clean day. The 5th is a standout for intermediates. The 10th of August is the expert’s dream, but it’s a long way out. The 12th is another clean, powerful day.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Tue night, light winds from the SE by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ENE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the NW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4041 | 1822 | 1513 | 950 | 994 | 919 | 905 | 793 | 690 | 606 | 376 | 193 | 98 | 88 | 60 | 122 | 154 | 238 | 276 | 421 | 417 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 5:35AM1.49m | 5:59PM1.59m | 6:06AM1.44m | 6:31PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:42AM0.08m | 00:08AM0.20m | 12:12PM0.13m | 00:43AM0.25m | |||||||
 | |  |  | |  | |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — |
mm | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | E 9 | SSW 13 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 4041 | 1822 | 1513 | 950 | 994 | 500 | 549 | 563 | 510 | 606 | 376 | 193 | 98 | 88 | 60 | 773 | 154 | 600 | 399 | 367 | 293 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | — | — | W 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 24 | 12 | 10 | 213 | 125 | 919 | 905 | 793 | 690 | — | — | 6 | 11 | 25 | 41 | 122 | 30 | 238 | 276 | 421 | 417 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 12 | — | — | SSW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | S 10 | S 10 | S 16 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 12 |
| kJ | — | 3 | — | — | 389 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 8 | 8 | 47 | 134 | 84 | 202 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 8 | SE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | — | WSW 5 | SW 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 402 | 323 | 263 | 393 | — | — | — | — | 552 | 718 | 639 | 877 | 1190 | 1134 | 915 | 715 | — | 83 | 31 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 386 | 386 | 369 | 372 | 239 | 16 | 110 | 167 | 96 | 239 | 372 | 318 | 135 | 329 | 16 | 16 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Riet River surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest