Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Ribanceira over the next couple of weeks.

First up, don’t get too excited for the opening days. From Sunday the 2nd right through to Monday the 4th morning, it’s pretty flat and messy. Tiny little 0.3ft to 1ft slop with short periods and onshore or cross-off winds. Not worth paddling out for. The surf energy is basically non-existent, sitting at just 2 to 27 (weak). These first few days are a write-off.

Things start to whisper to life on Tuesday the 4th morning. We’ve got a clean, glassy start with a 3ft S swell, period of 12 seconds, and a nice glassy wind. The combined energy climbs to 324 (moderate). It’s not world-class, but the glassy conditions will make it feel better than it looks. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th mornings offer similar, small clean waves in the 2ft to 3ft range, with glassy winds and energy between 102 and 148. These are your ‘get a few fun ones’ windows if you’re desperate for a paddle.

Now, here’s the real standout. Sunday the 9th kicks off with a solid pulse. Morning sees a 7ft S swell at 9 seconds, but the wind is dead calm – glassy as a lake. The combined energy jumps to 770 (strong). This is the first real chance for proper waves. The swell direction (S) is a touch off the optimum (S) for Ribanceira, but with that glass, it’s going to be clean and fun. It might be a bit much for beginners over 5ft, but intermediates will be smiling.

Then, Monday the 10th morning is the heavyweight champion of this forecast. We’ve got an 12ft SSW groundswell with a 12-second period and glassy wind. The combined energy is massive at 5710 (very strong). This is expert territory – over 8ft and powerful. The waves will be big, clean, and lined up, especially for a sandbar like Ribanceira. This is a day for experienced surfers only, and it’s the best on offer by a long shot.

Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th still have some decent 5ft to 7ft S swell, but the winds turn onshore or light cross-on, so the quality drops. The energy stays strong (723 to 1607), but the conditions are less ideal. Thursday the 13th sees the swell drop back to 3ft-4ft with clean offshore winds, making for a decent small-wave session.

The last few days, from Friday the 14th through Monday the 17th, fade out. The swell drops to under 2ft, the winds turn onshore or cross-onshore, and energy gets weak again (20 to 105). The 17th morning shows a 5ft E swell but with moderate cross-onshore chop – not great.

Water temp? Feels about average for the time of year, no major anomalies.

Bottom line: Forget the first few days. The gold is Sunday 9th for a fun, clean, moderate swell, and Monday 10th morning for a big, clean, powerful swell that only the experienced crew should tackle.

Rusty.

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