
Surf Forecasts:
Rivermouth surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, E swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, E swell with 2,269 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rivermouth this week:
The surf forecast for Rivermouth over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rivermouth in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 10s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rivermouth over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s talk about Rivermouth. This is a beginner-friendly spot, super consistent, and it’s exposed to swell from the south. The water’s running at 61°, which is a massive 7° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s properly unusual, so you’ll want a thick steamer.
The next week and a half is a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions from Wednesday the 9th through to Sunday the 13th. The swell is tiny, with a weak combined energy reading (47), and the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. Not worth paddling out for.
Things start to get interesting on Monday the 14th. We see a big jump in swell size, hitting 10ft from the east, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is strong, reading 1567. The wind on Monday morning is a gentle cross-shore, but the problem is the swell is simply too big for this break. It’s an expert-only kind of day, and even then, it’s pushing the limits. The afternoon cleans up with a light cross-offshore breeze, but again, that 10ft swell is heaving – it’s going to be a wash-through for most.
Tuesday the 15th drops back to a more manageable 6ft in the morning, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, and the conditions are only marginal. The afternoon sees 5ft from the east with a 10-second period (a moderate 506 combined energy) and a gentle cross-shore breeze. It’s not a standout, but it’s the most rideable we’ve seen all week.
The standout window, if you can call it that, is looking like a bit of a gamble. After a few more days of poor surf, we get a pulse on Monday the 21st. The morning offers 5ft from the south with a short, choppy 7-second period, and a light cross-onshore breeze. The real promise is on Monday afternoon: a 4ft south swell with a very long period of 16 seconds (combined energy of 953). That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind, however, is a moderate cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. This long-period south swell should wrap in nicely and hold up well at a point or river mouth, but it might break a bit straight if you’re on a beach. For a beginner spot like Rivermouth, it’s a solid option if you can handle the occasional bigger set.
Tuesday the 22nd has similar marginal conditions, with 4ft and long periods, but the wind stays messy. After that, it’s back to poor surf through to the end of the 16-day window.
Best bet: Saturday the 14th is too big for most, but for the experienced crew, the afternoon glass-off is a true test. For the average surfer, Monday the 21st afternoon is the best on offer, but it’s not perfect. Keep an eye on the forecast, as things can change.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 31°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 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) | SSE 10 | SW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | E 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
32 | 46 | 269 | 194 | 277 | 131 | 96 | 99 | 147 | 125 | 547 | 636 | 545 | 985 | 1426 | 1960 | 1048 | 569 | 434 | 356 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:54PM1.60m | 3:07AM1.56m | 3:27PM1.72m | 3:40AM1.62m | 3:59PM1.78m | 4:11AM1.64m | 4:28PM1.78m | 4:40AM1.62m | 4:56PM1.73m | 5:07AM1.56m | 5:23PM1.64m | 5:34AM1.47m | 5:48PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:05PM0.13m | 9:13AM0.03m | 9:38PM0.04m | 9:44AM-0.03m | 10:09PM0.00m | 10:13AM-0.04m | 10:38PM0.01m | 10:41AM-0.01m | 11:05PM0.06m | 11:08AM0.06m | 11:31PM0.14m | 11:34AM0.17m | 11:56PM0.25m | |||||||
— | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 30 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 18 | 23 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 7 | E 9 | SSE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
283 | 264 | 269 | 194 | 169 | 113 | 82 | 99 | 83 | 68 | 547 | 636 | 468 | 297 | 141 | 1960 | 1048 | 569 | 434 | 356 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | S 5 | S 6 | E 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 19 | S 9 | S 9 | — | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | SSW 12 |
32 | 27 | 30 | 121 | 277 | 20 | 23 | 83 | 63 | 59 | 74 | 37 | 13 | 2 | — | 131 | 72 | 41 | 61 | 58 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SW 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | S 23 | SW 19 |
15 | 46 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 131 | 96 | 82 | 25 | 75 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 11 | 94 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | SW 2 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | — | — | E 4 | SE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 10 | — | — | — | — |
513 | 432 | 1 | 19 | 24 | — | — | 10 | 147 | 125 | 252 | 534 | 545 | 985 | 1426 | 2664 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 269 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 4 | 31 | 2 | 360 | 433 | 903 | 433 | 433 | 511 | 322 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 322 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Rivermouth Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rivermouth provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rivermouth can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rivermouth 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 (Rivermouth) 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 Rivermouth 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 - Wild Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Rivermouth, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast, consider staying in East London which is 26 km (16 miles) away. Other places in and around Eastern Cape - Wild Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Butterworth which is 59 km (37 miles) away, Stutterheim and Bisho.










