Riet River Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.58° S 26.93° E

Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 02 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Riet River sea temperature is
17.3°C
2.0° 

Riet River surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Riet River surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, SSW swell with 4,594 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m 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 3.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Mon 7th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 13s
Best Surf11PM (Mon 7th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 13s
Most Powerful11PM (Sun 6th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riet River over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the next couple of weeks for the Riet River (Riet-River) stretch. We've got a classic story unfolding: a solid, clean pulse to kick things off, followed by a long, frustrating lull, and then a potential heavy hitter way out at the end of the forecast. Let's break it down.

The standout window is Wednesday morning, September 2nd. The water's a bit colder than normal at 63°F, so grab the thicker rubber. But don't let that put you off because the conditions are the best we'll see for a long time. We’ve got a chunky 8ft groundswell from the SSW running at a tasty 13 seconds. The wave energy is pumping hard (2369), and with glassy winds out of the south at just 3 mph, it’s going to be clean, lined-up, and proper. This is an exposed point break, so it’ll handle that size well, but that's pushing into expert territory—it’s gonna be powerful.

After that morning magic, the wind swings brutally onshore from the East by the afternoon and stays ugly for over a week. That Wednesday glass is a one-hit wonder. The surf drops off quickly—Thursday morning on September 3rd is a messy, lumpy 6ft with cross-on winds, and it just gets worse from there.

We go straight into a major drought from Wednesday afternoon right the way through to the morning of Monday, September 8th. That’s nearly a full week of junk. A bit of size shows up on Friday, September 4th, with a windy 12ft, but that’s a short-period, wind-blown mess from the SSE—kite-surfing conditions, not paddle surfing.

Things finally start to look tidy again on the morning of Monday, September 8th. We get a clean, cross-off breeze from the SW and a clean 4ft SSW swell. It’s small, but at least it’s surfable. The swell fades fast after that, and we drift back into tiny, onshore conditions for the rest of the first week and into the second week.

Now, for the long-range call. Keep an eye on Thursday, September 17th. This is the one to get excited about. The forecast is showing a big 10ft SSW groundswell with a very long 15-second period and some serious energy behind it (3728). With a cross-off wind from the SW, that point break should be absolutely pumping with clean, powerful lines. It’s still a ways out, so we’ll have to wait and see if the wind plays ball, but on paper, that is the best setup of the whole 16-day run.

So to wrap it up: get out there Wednesday morning for the real deal, then sit tight through a lot of flat and windy rubbish, until we hopefully get a belter of a swell on September 17th.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the SE by Thu night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the ENE on Sun night, light winds from the NE by Mon night).

Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SSW
13
2.3
SSW
13
2
SSW
12
1.8
SSW
12
1.2
SW
12
4
S
10
3.5
SSE
9
3
SSE
9
2.3
SE
8
1.5
SSW
11
1.5
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
10
1.1
SSW
22
1.9
SSW
20
2.5
S
16
1.8
SSW
14
1.5
S
14
1.3
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
13
1.1
SSW
12
1
SSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2369
1807
1173
874
393
3042
1906
1286
736
503
485
392
1081
2712
3607
1402
925
608
572
355
265
Wind (km/h)
5
S
20
E
25
E
15
SE
40
SSE
40
SE
30
SE
30
ESE
30
E
35
ENE
35
ENE
30
E
40
ENE
50
ENE
45
ENE
30
NE
35
ENE
30
WSW
15
SW
10
S
5
NE
Wind State
glassy
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
High Tide
6:35PM1.48m
6:52AM1.26m
7:19PM1.32m
7:44AM1.10m
8:26PM1.15m
9:34AM0.98m
10:52PM1.07m
12:18PM1.05m
00:48AM1.17m
1:30PM1.24m
1:47AM1.32m
2:15PM1.43m
2:29AM1.45m
Low Tide
12:16PM0.20m
00:51AM0.31m
12:55PM0.35m
1:41AM0.46m
1:50PM0.51m
3:08AM0.59m
3:49PM0.65m
5:46AM0.59m
6:29PM0.58m
7:13AM0.43m
7:41PM0.41m
8:01AM0.27m
8:26PM0.24m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
heavy rain
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:28
6:28
6:26
6:24
6:24
6:22
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:58
 mm
2
3
12
Temp °C
17
17
19
21
19
17
17
16
16
17
17
17
17
17
17
22
24
21
20
19
18
Feels °C
17
15
19
21
16
13
11
9
10
11
11
11
11
10
9
18
21
21
19
18
20
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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