Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, S swell with 2,393 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s 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 16) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 13s 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 2.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right folks, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Riet River. This is a classic point break that can fire when it gets the right swell, but it’s inconsistent, so you gotta be patient. The water’s running a fair bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit if you’re heading out.
The first real chance we get is Sunday afternoon, August 9th. We’ve got a solid 8ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a 13-second period, packing a heap of energy (2431). The wind is blowing offshore from the WSW, so it’s going to be clean. The only downside is the forecast says it’s marginal for tide, and the swell is a beast for a point break – it’s more of an expert-only wave at that size. That’s the standout of the whole run, but you’ve got to know what you’re doing.
Monday the 10th sees the swell drop a little, but the wind turns onshore and cross-shore, making things messy. Tuesday through to the start of the following week is a write-off with strong onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell drops right off, with small, weak waves and poor conditions. There’s a long dry spell with nothing really worth paddling out for.
Then, on the 22nd of August, we get a brief flicker of hope. Saturday afternoon offers a clean 6ft swell, but it’s a short-period 6-second wind swell, so it’s not going to have much punch. The weekend after that is still poor.
Hold on though, because the real gem is showing up on Monday, August 24th. The morning brings a beautiful 8ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is pumping (2104). The wind is light and offshore from the SW, so it’s going to be glassy clean. That’s a proper wave for experienced surfers, and it’s the best wave of the entire outlook. The afternoon stays clean, but the wind swings onshore, so get it early.
So, to sum it up: this Sunday is the first call for experts, but the one to circle on the calendar is Monday the 24th of August. Get on it early for the cleanest sets.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 12°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Sun night, light winds from the SSE by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ENE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Sat morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 22 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 20 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2431 | 1852 | 1508 | 907 | 2005 | 2393 | 1071 | 612 | 415 | 615 | 729 | 935 | 723 | 911 | 519 | 382 | 217 | 208 | 183 | 138 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:47AM1.35m | 2:23PM1.35m | 2:38AM1.47m | 3:07PM1.52m | 3:21AM1.57m | 3:47PM1.65m | 3:59AM1.62m | 4:23PM1.73m | 4:34AM1.62m | 4:57PM1.75m | 5:08AM1.58m | 5:30PM1.71m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:30PM0.44m | 8:10AM0.28m | 8:29PM0.29m | 8:55AM0.14m | 9:15PM0.16m | 9:33AM0.03m | 9:56PM0.07m | 10:08AM-0.04m | 10:33PM0.04m | 10:41AM-0.05m | 11:07PM0.05m | 11:12AM-0.02m | 11:40PM0.10m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — |
mm | 5 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 24 | 27 | 21 |
Feels °C | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 23 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | E 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 65 | 45 | 1508 | 907 | 2005 | 2393 | 1071 | 612 | 325 | 270 | 729 | 935 | 612 | 911 | 519 | 382 | 217 | 422 | 183 | 138 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | — | SE 7 | ENE 9 | SSW 15 | ENE 10 | SSE 8 | SSW 25 | SSW 22 | SSW 20 | SSW 11 | SSW 22 | SSW 20 | S 9 | S 9 | E 12 | S 14 | SW 14 | S 12 | S 11 |
| kJ | 90 | — | 136 | 28 | 355 | 33 | 256 | 63 | 415 | 615 | 154 | 263 | 723 | 7 | 2 | 25 | 4 | 208 | 3 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 9 | SW 15 | E 9 | — | — | S 10 | — | — | S 10 | SW 11 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | S 14 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 45 | 8 | 28 | — | — | 8 | — | — | 29 | 40 | 15 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 10 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | — | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 6 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | — | E 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 2431 | 1852 | 85 | 217 | — | 177 | 310 | 547 | 453 | 354 | 377 | 374 | 502 | 471 | 394 | 456 | 581 | — | 374 | 617 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 722 | 332 | 822 | 167 | 167 | 386 | 243 | 16 | 331 | 386 | 139 | 331 | 386 | 161 | 135 | 331 | 16 | 16 | 135 | 16 |
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)
Latest Updates
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