Back to results

South Pier, South Africa

Stay in Richards Bay: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Richards Bay

Watch this spot We email you when South Pier is worth the trip.

Richards Bay, South Africa
Richards Bay, the nearest town, 6 km away. Photo: MeRyan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About South Pier

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SE (148°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (328°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 17). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 22°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 27°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June and July, with about 2 good days in 7; in October, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Richards Bay, 5.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 22°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 30 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to RCB, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB).

    See flights MDW → RCB · Skyscanner from about £800 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 30 min from the airport to South Pier.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Richards BayAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Richards Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Richards Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

South Pier on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct394 ft6 smushy103kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct334 ft9 shollow226kJ35°C
Tue 20Oct09 ft8 smushy1,009kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct504 ft8 smushy172kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct254 ft6 smushy94kJ24°C
Fri 23Oct206 ft7 smushy297kJ23°C
Sat 24Oct234 ft10 shollow299kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct423 ft8 shollow104kJ30°C
Mon 26Oct192 ft8 shollow71kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct364 ft8 shollow220kJ24°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to RCB, changing at ATL and JNB, then 30 min by road. About 30h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf South Pier

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Kleiklip

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 15 kn (28 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf South Pier

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 12 kn (22 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to RCB, changing at ATL and JNB, then 30 min by road. About 30h 50 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Richards Bay each day: Kleiklip, Richards Bay, South Pier.

The trip from Richards Bay, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,230 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to RCB, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and JNB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£800–£1,665
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£15–£25
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,125–£2,230

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Richards Bay

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.