Surf Forecasts:
Riet River surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, SSW swell with 1,452 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s 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 Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s 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 2.1m 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on offer at Riet River over the next couple of weeks.
Right now, the surf is pretty flat. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first chance of a wave comes Friday the 14th, but it’s shaky with a cross-onshore breeze making things choppy and tricky. The water temperature is sitting at 60°, which is a whopping 7° colder than usual for this time of year – unusual, and it’ll feel it getting in.
The real action fires up from Monday the 17th. That morning, Riet River starts to see a solid 4ft SSW swell with a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The combined swell energy climbs to 891, which is right on the edge of moderate to strong. That afternoon the swell pushes up to 5ft, with a 13-second period and glassy conditions, making for some proper clean waves. This is a standout window for intermediate surfers.
Tuesday the 18th keeps the quality rolling. A consistent 5ft SSW groundswell hangs around, with a 14-second period and clean morning conditions. The energy is still up there at 765. This is your best bet for clean, well-shaped waves before the afternoon sea breeze kicks in.
Now, Wednesday the 19th picks up size. The swell hits 7ft from the SSW, with energy booming into 1277 – that’s strong. Still cross-off winds and clean, but this is getting into expert territory. It’s not for beginners.
We hit a quiet spot again from Thursday the 20th through to Friday the 21st, with the swell dropping back and onshore winds making it messy. Not a good bet.
Then it gets wild. Saturday the 22nd sees a massive spike: 13ft of SSW groundswell in the morning, and the afternoon jumps to 15ft with a super long 15-second period. Combined energy hits 10,050 – that’s very strong wave energy. This is big, powerful, and only for experienced surfers on a point break. The period is long, so expect longer lulls but heavy sets. The wind stays cross-off, so it’ll be clean but serious.
Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th keep the size up between 10ft and 13ft, but onshore winds blow hard, making it a messy, blown-out mess. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
From Tuesday the 25th through Wednesday the 27th, the swell drops back to 6ft-8ft range, with cross-off winds returning. This is more manageable for intermediates again. Thursday the 27th morning has an excellent window: 6ft SSW groundswell, a 13-second period, cross-off breeze, and clean conditions – a genuine standout for the second week.
After that, the swell fades into smaller, less consistent 4ft swell, with onshore winds returning. The energy drops back under 600, and the last few days look poor.
So, if you’re looking to paddle out, aim for Monday the 17th afternoon through Tuesday the 18th – that’s the cleanest, most user-friendly window for good surfers. For experts, Saturday the 22nd afternoon has the biggest, cleanest surf but it’s for the brave only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
372 | 264 | 208 | 183 | 138 | 184 | 287 | 237 | 581 | 851 | 643 | 862 | 651 | 1269 | 1341 | 1250 | 984 | 734 | 722 | 734 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off |
High Tide | 4:57PM1.75m | 5:08AM1.58m | 5:30PM1.71m | 5:39AM1.51m | 6:01PM1.62m | 6:09AM1.41m | 6:30PM1.50m | 6:38AM1.29m | 6:59PM1.36m | 7:08AM1.17m | 7:30PM1.21m | 7:42AM1.03m | 8:12PM1.07m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:07PM0.05m | 11:12AM-0.02m | 11:40PM0.10m | 11:42AM0.06m | 00:10AM0.19m | 12:11PM0.17m | 00:40AM0.30m | 12:39PM0.30m | 1:10AM0.42m | 1:09PM0.44m | 1:46AM0.55m | 1:44PM0.59m | 2:45AM0.67m | |||||||
— | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | |
5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 23 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 27 | 30 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 17 |
Feels °C | 22 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 23 | 27 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
372 | 316 | 206 | 121 | 98 | 203 | 294 | 223 | 381 | 851 | 643 | 862 | 651 | 1269 | 1341 | 1250 | 984 | 734 | 722 | 734 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | — | ENE 8 | E 6 | ENE 8 |
1 | 264 | 208 | 183 | 138 | 184 | 287 | 237 | 581 | 314 | 204 | 160 | 117 | 83 | 59 | 57 | — | 24 | 56 | 102 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 9 | S 13 | E 10 | SW 7 | E 11 | S 10 | E 12 | — | — | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | — |
— | 2 | 3 | 75 | 12 | 114 | 2 | 97 | — | — | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | WSW 5 | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | — | W 3 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 6 | — | WSW 4 |
374 | — | 25 | — | 136 | 319 | — | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 101 | 77 | — | 16 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 142 | 61 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 369 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape (South) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











