Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's shaping up for Ribanceira over the next couple of weeks.

First thing I’ve gotta say – don’t rush out. There’s a painful stretch of flat, choppy, and just plain ugly surf staring us down from now through to Thursday the 20th. The water temp is pretty average for this time of year, nothing wild happening there. Most of this week is a write-off with small, weak swells and onshore winds messing things up.

Things finally start to turn early Friday morning, the 21st. We’ve got a small but clean 5ft swell rolling in from the SSW, period around 8 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. That’s the first real glimmer of hope. But it’s a short window – by the afternoon the wind swings onshore again and it’s back to square one.

The real standout action is the last few days of August, especially from Monday the 24th. Monday morning brings a solid 7ft swell from the SSE, a short 7-second period, but the wind is clean cross-off. The combined energy is strong (848) which tells you there’s plenty of push behind it. Monday afternoon looks even better for more experienced surfers: 5ft from the S, a longer 11-second period, with offshore wind. That’s groundswell territory, proper shape, and clean. Tuesday the 25th keeps the good vibes with offshore winds and clean 4ft to 6ft swell.

But if you can only pick one session, make it Wednesday the 26th morning. Glassy conditions, a decent 7ft swell from the ESE, period around 8 seconds, and energy at 820. That’s a fun, punchy wave that’s clean as a whistle. It’s pushing into the bigger range though, so more suited to the intermediate and above crew. The sandbars should be working. This break is fairly consistent but it’s sheltered from the S, and the optimum swell direction is S, so these south swells are a good match.

Crowds are just "sometimes" here, so you might get it quiet if you’re lucky, but don’t count on being alone on a day like that.

The rest of the second week fades pretty quickly. By the 27th the wind turns onshore again and the surf gets messy. No strong standouts after the 26th.

So, to sum it up: suffer through the flat spell, then Friday the 21st is a little teaser, but the real gold is Monday the 24th through Wednesday the 26th. Wednesday morning is your top pick – just get out there early.

Rusty.

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