Riet River Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.58° S 26.93° E

Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Riet River sea temperature is
16.2° C
3.4° 

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 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 11s period, S swell with 7,364 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Riet River in the next 16 days are 5.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 5th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 11s
Best Surf11PM (Wed 5th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 16s
Most Powerful 2PM (Mon 10th Aug)18ft (5.5m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m calling it from the banks of Riet River. This is a classic point break setup, and it’s exposed to the swell, so it’s built to handle the pulses that are coming. The water temp is sitting at 61°, which is about 6° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a serious anomaly, so don’t forget a thick suit or a hood. The season is telling you to be prepared for a proper winter bite.

We’re looking at a quiet start. Tuesday the 4th is a write-off. The swell is only around 3 ft with a weak combined energy of just 282, and it’s cross-shore, so you’re better off staying home. Wednesday the 5th morning is the first real tease. The swell drops to 3 ft, but the wind goes light and cross-off, with a clean surface. The combined energy is still weak at 263, but it’s a small, clean window if you’re on a longboard.

Thursday the 6th is where things start to build. The morning sees 5 ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 921. That’s moderate and meaningful. The wind is cross-off, so the face will be clean. Then Thursday afternoon, the swell pushes to 8 ft, the energy hits 2422, and it’s still clean. This is getting solid.

Friday the 7th morning is the best real standout of the first week. The swell is 6 ft from the SSW, period 12 seconds, combined energy 1005. The wind is offshore at 25 km/h. That’s the magic combo – clean, hollow, proper offshore lines. This is for experienced surfers, and it’s going to be a session to remember. The water is still cold, so come prepared.

Saturday the 8th holds 7 ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is cross-on in the morning from the NNE, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy. Saturday afternoon the wind swings to the east and goes onshore, which is a bit messy. The energy is still high at 1422, but it’s not worth the paddle if the wind is on it.

Sunday the 9th morning brings a fresh offshore from the WSW at 30 km/h, with a 8 ft swell from the SSW and a 14-second period. Combined energy is 2041. That is a solid groundswell, and it’s going to be big and powerful. This is expert territory. The afternoon gets a strong cross-off breeze, so it’s still clean, but it’s a big one.

Then we hit a wall. Monday the 10th is a mess. The swell jumps to 18 ft, the wind is howling from the south, and the combined energy is 6825. This is not for paddle surfing – this is kite territory if you’re into that. The conditions are poor, and the surface is messy. Tuesday the 11th is still big and onshore, with 13 ft swell and 3860 energy. Wednesday the 12th morning is a 20 ft swell with 9536 energy, but it’s cross-on and lumpy. This whole stretch from the 10th to the 13th is a write-off for a normal surfer.

Thursday the 13th drops to 5 ft from the SSW, but the wind is still cross-on and fresh, so it’s lumpy. The energy is 1595, but the surface is rough. Friday the 14th is similar, small and cross-on. Friday the 14th is a 4 ft swell with 482 energy, but it’s messy.

Saturday the 15th is a small clean-up with light wind, but the swell is only 3 ft and the energy is 347. It’s marginal.

The next standout window is Sunday the 16th morning. The wind goes glassy, the swell is 3 ft from the SW, and the combined energy is only 207. That’s tiny, but it’s glassy. Great for a longboard or a foiler.

The real standout in the second week is Monday the 17th afternoon. The wind goes glassy, the swell comes up to 7 ft from the SW with a 11-second period, and the combined energy hits 990. That’s a solid, clean pulse. The glassy conditions and a 7 ft swell at a point break are a dream. This is the best option in the second week, though it’s a while out, so keep an eye on it.

Tuesday the 18th is then a clean but windy day with a strong cross-off and 7 ft swell, but the wind is fresh, so it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

After that, from the 19th, it’s back to small, cross-on, and poor conditions. The window closes.

So, if you’re picking a session, Friday the 7th morning is the one. The offshore wind, the 6 ft SSW swell, and the clean lines at Riet River are about as good as it gets. For the second week, save your energy for Monday the 17th afternoon – that glassy, 7 ft pulse is a real promise.

Stay warm, and read the tide.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, near gales from the S by Sun night).

Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
2
2
2
3
2
3
4
4
3
4
3
3
2
3
1
0
0
4
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SW
12
0.9
SW
12
0.9
SW
11
0.8
SW
11
0.8
SSW
14
1.6
SSW
15
1.5
SSW
14
2.5
SW
13
2.1
SW
13
1.9
SSW
12
2
SSW
12
2.4
SSW
16
2.1
SSW
14
1.9
SSW
14
1.7
SSW
13
2.4
SSW
14
2.1
SW
13
2.2
SW
12
5.5
S
11
5.5
SSE
11
4
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
282
232
205
140
236
1139
921
2422
1348
1005
1158
2682
1797
1422
1045
2038
1413
1278
6825
6813
3449
Wind (km/h)
10
NNE
15
ENE
5
NW
10
NNW
10
NE
30
WSW
25
SW
20
SSW
5
WSW
25
WSW
25
SW
5
NW
15
NNE
10
E
25
WSW
30
WSW
45
WSW
50
S
40
S
30
S
25
SSE
Wind State
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
High Tide
7:08PM1.47m
7:21AM1.24m
7:53PM1.37m
8:14AM1.12m
8:57PM1.25m
9:44AM1.01m
10:43PM1.17m
11:58AM1.03m
00:35AM1.23m
1:27PM1.18m
1:47AM1.35m
2:23PM1.35m
2:38AM1.47m
Low Tide
12:45PM0.21m
1:24AM0.33m
1:25PM0.32m
2:16AM0.44m
2:19PM0.45m
3:35AM0.53m
3:48PM0.56m
5:34AM0.54m
5:57PM0.56m
7:11AM0.43m
7:30PM0.44m
8:10AM0.28m
8:29PM0.29m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
heavy rain
light rain
light rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:01
7:01
7:00
6:58
6:58
6:56
6:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:35
5:35
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:37
5:38
 mm
26
4
2
3
Temp °C
24
27
24
25
29
26
18
19
17
16
18
16
19
24
19
16
15
14
14
14
13
Feels °C
19
23
21
21
26
22
14
15
16
12
14
14
17
24
19
10
6
9
3
6
7
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Riet River:

join our community of surf reporters

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 locationNearest