
Surf Forecasts:
Rivermouth surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 19 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, E swell with 3,806 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 11s period with E 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 Tuesday (Sep 15) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rivermouth in the next 16 days are 4.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 19) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rivermouth over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The ocean’s been up and down, but right now it’s all about picking the right windows. The first real chance we get is Monday the 14th, and honestly, it’s a bit of a beast. Rivermouth is looking at a solid 10-foot east swell, with a 10-second period. That’s a lot of water moving, and the energy reading is way up there at 1855 – you can feel that push. But here’s the catch: it’s too big for this spot. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNE at 5 km/h, which would be perfect if the swell were smaller, but at this size, it’s a washing machine for most. The water is 63°, which is a couple of degrees colder than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that chill on the paddle out. It’s a beginner-friendly break, but this isn’t the day for learning. You’d want to be a solid surfer just to handle the size, and even then, it’s a handful.
After that, the week goes sideways. Tuesday the 15th drops a bit to around 6 feet, but the wind goes cross-on from the SSE, and the surf is just messy. The energy drops to 888, which is moderate, but the conditions are marginal. Wednesday and Thursday are write-offs – strong cross/on-shore winds, rain, and the swell gets jumbled. The energy does spike to 1077 on Thursday afternoon, but with 7-foot of short-period SSE swell and onshore wind, it’s just lumpy, poor surf. Friday keeps the onshore flow, and the swell stays in the 6 to 8-foot range, but it’s all chop. The energy climbs to 1128 on Friday afternoon, but it’s not doing us any favors with that wind.
Then Saturday the 19th is a big one. The swell jumps back up to 12 feet, with east-southeast direction and a 10-second period. The energy is pumping – 2868 on the afternoon. The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NE, but again, 12 feet is just too much for Rivermouth. It’s a classic case of “right place, wrong size.” Sunday the 20th is similar – 10 feet in the morning, glassy with a light NNW breeze, and a big energy reading of 1743. It’s clean, but still too big. The water will be all over the place, and it’s just not a fun, manageable wave for this break.
We get a bit of a breather early next week, but it’s marginal at best. Monday the 21st is poor, with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy surf. Tuesday the 22nd is a step down – around 6 feet – but the wind is cross-on and the waves are gutless. The energy readings are in the 800-900 range, which is moderate, but there’s no punch.
Now, here’s the standout. Wednesday the 23rd, morning. The swell drops to around 4 feet, but the period stretches out to 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The wind is glassy, with a slight air from the SSE. The energy is 726, which is moderate, but the quality is there. This is the best window in the whole run. Clean, lined-up waves, that long-period push, and no wind to mess it up. It’s still small, but for Rivermouth, this is the one to be out for. The only downside is it’s not big, but the conditions are spot on. Thursday the 24th is a letdown – the swell backs off to around 3 feet, and the wind comes up, so it’s marginal again.
Friday the 25th has a bit of hope. The morning is around 6 feet, cross-off from the NNE, and clean. The energy is 723. It’s okay, but the afternoon looks better – a drop to just under 6 feet, light cross-off from the N at 10 km/h, and clean conditions. The energy is 649. It’s a solid, if not spectacular, surf. The wind is light, so the surface will be nice. Not a standout, but a fun one.
The last few days of the window are mostly poor. Saturday the 26th is a mess – moderate cross-onshore winds and choppy, weak waves. Sunday the 27th is marginal, with light onshore winds and a small, short-period swell. Monday the 28th stays poor, with moderate cross-shore winds. The final day, Tuesday the 29th, has a bit of a boost in energy – 1523 – with around 6 feet of swell from the southwest, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the NE, and it’s lumpy. Not worth getting wet for.
So, the bottom line: if you want the best of the best, it’s Wednesday the 23rd, early. Glassy, clean, and that 12-second groundswell makes it feel better than the size suggests. The other half-decent window is Friday the 25th afternoon, but it’s a step down. The rest is either too big, too messy, or too small to get excited about.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the SW by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 97mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 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) | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1724 | 1636 | 826 | 590 | 450 | 333 | 420 | 210 | 251 | 532 | 726 | 509 | 828 | 1587 | 2560 | 2770 | 2472 | 1682 | 1108 | 499 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 5:23PM1.64m | 5:34AM1.47m | 5:48PM1.52m | 5:59AM1.36m | 6:12PM1.38m | 6:24AM1.23m | 6:37PM1.23m | 6:50AM1.09m | 7:05PM1.08m | 7:30AM0.95m | 8:11PM0.94m | 12:16PM0.91m | 00:32AM0.98m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:31PM0.14m | 11:34AM0.17m | 11:56PM0.25m | 12:00PM0.29m | 00:22AM0.37m | 12:25PM0.43m | 00:50AM0.51m | 12:54PM0.58m | 1:31AM0.65m | 1:40PM0.73m | 4:11AM0.75m | 6:20PM0.77m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 26 | 16 | 11 | 17 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 25 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSW 13 | E 9 | S 7 | S 7 | ESE 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 |
1724 | 1636 | 826 | 590 | 450 | 333 | 244 | 205 | 251 | 384 | 429 | 103 | 127 | 1270 | 158 | 98 | 2472 | 1682 | 1108 | 499 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | — | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | — |
131 | 72 | 62 | 39 | 39 | 150 | 86 | 210 | 164 | 161 | 256 | 213 | 173 | 188 | 12 | — | 56 | 40 | 107 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 17 | SSW 18 | S 11 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | — | SSW 12 | — | — | SSW 11 | — | — | — | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | — |
— | — | — | 6 | 30 | 9 | — | 111 | 246 | — | 258 | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | 21 | 21 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | — | — | — | — | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | SSW 6 |
2809 | — | — | — | — | 107 | 420 | 127 | 242 | 532 | 726 | 509 | 828 | 1587 | 2560 | 2770 | — | — | — | 322 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 76 | 31 | 336 | 0 | 383 | 511 | 31 | 258 | 383 | 426 | 426 | 591 | 360 | 117 | 511 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 140 |
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.










