Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are a write-off with poor conditions, so we’ll be waiting until Friday the 10th for anything surfable to show up at Ribanceira. This is a sandbar setup, fairly consistent, and it’s sheltered from the swell, so it needs the right direction to really light up. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on there.

Friday the 10th – We finally see a pulse. Morning has a 3.3ft swell from the ESE with a period of 12 seconds, and the wind is light offshore from the SW. That’s clean. The combined energy hits 326 (moderate), so there’s some push. It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon gets better with a 3.9ft ESE swell, period still 12 seconds, and a cross-offshore wind from the S. Energy jumps to 403 (moderate). This is the first real hint of good surf.

Saturday the 11th – This is the standout of the whole run. Saturday morning is glassy – I mean, dead calm – with a 4.3ft ESE swell and a long 13-second period. The combined energy is 655 (moderate to strong). This is a proper groundswell, and at a sandbar, it could be a bit straight, but with that glassy surface, it’s going to be clean and fun. The afternoon sees the wind turn onshore, so the morning is the window.

Sunday the 12th – Morning is another good one. A 5.2ft SSE swell with a 12-second period, and we’ve got clean offshore wind from the SW. Energy jumps to 1074 (strong). That’s a solid step up in size. This is excellent surf, but at 5.2ft, it’s still manageable for intermediates. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-offshore breeze.

Monday the 13th – Morning has the biggest swell of the period: 5.9ft from the SSE, but the period drops to 8 seconds (short period wind swell). The wind is offshore from the SW, so it’s clean, but the wave quality will be a bit lumpy and less powerful. Energy is 558 (moderate). The afternoon drops off.

Tuesday the 14th – A 4.3ft SSE swell, 9-second period, with clean cross-offshore wind in the morning. Ordinary, but rideable. The afternoon goes onshore and messy.

From Wednesday the 15th onwards, things get grim. We have a long stretch of poor surf with small, weak swell and onshore or cross-onshore winds. The combined energy drops below 100 most days (weak). There’s a tiny window on Sunday the 19th morning – glassy conditions with a 2.0ft E swell, but it’s barely surfable. Then it’s dead again. The 16-day window really only has that one well-defined window: Friday the 10th through Tuesday the 14th, with Saturday the 11th morning being the absolute pick.

Take it from me, keep your eyes on Saturday morning.

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