Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag on the cards for Ribanceira over the next couple of weeks, but there’s definitely a couple of sessions worth circling on the calendar.

The opening look sees a decent pulse of energy rolling in for Thursday 13 August. The morning at Ribanceira (sandbar) will have a solid 7ft south swell, with a period of 14 seconds – proper groundswell that’ll wrap in nicely. The wind is light and straight offshore, so you’re looking at glassy, clean lines. The combined energy is pumping hard at 1576, which tells you there’s plenty of grunt in the water. Water temp sits at 66°, pretty much average for this time of year. This is the standout of the whole run – get out there if you can. It’s an intermediate-friendly wave at this size.

Thursday afternoon holds that clean quality too, still with offshore breezes and swell around 6ft from the south. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes,” but with conditions this good, expect a few locals to be on the ball.

Come Friday morning 14 August, the wind swings easterly and pushes cross-onshore, and the clarity starts to fade. The swell stays solid enough at 6ft from the SSE, but the wind will crinkle up the surface. The energy sits at 1460, so there’s still push in the water, but it’s less of a clean wave than Thursday. Afternoon turns worse, with stronger cross-onshore wind and choppier conditions.

Saturday 15 August starts with a smaller 4ft south swell, light cross-on wind. Not terrible, but far from the Thursday quality. By the afternoon it gets messy, with onshore wind and short, weak 8-second period waves. Not your session.

From Sunday 16 August right through to Wednesday 20 August, the surf really goes quiet and poor. Swell heights drop below 3ft for several days, with onshore winds and very low energy readings. There’s a real gap here with nothing worth paddling out for – a dry spell of nearly a week.

Things start to perk up again on Friday 21 August. Morning shows a cleaner picture with a 7ft south swell and offshore wind from the WSW – gentle offshore and clean lines. The energy is moderate at 471, and though the period is only 8 seconds, the offshore wind will tidy it up. This is a decent session, but not quite the standout Thursday was. Conditions hold into Saturday 22 August morning with glassy 5ft south swell, calm winds and 503 energy – a very clean, user-friendly morning.

Late on Sunday 23 August through into Monday 24 August is where the next real highlight lands. Sunday afternoon has a clean 5ft south swell with 12-second period and light cross-offshore wind, energy at 726. Come Monday morning, that builds to a 6ft south swell, still clean with only a slight air moving, and energy jumps to 1114. Monday afternoon pushes it even further – 7ft south swell, 13-second period, light cross-offshore breeze and the energy roaring at 1440. This ranks as very good conditions and is a prime pick for that week. By Tuesday 25 August, it’s still solid – morning has 5ft swell with cross-offshore wind and very high energy at 1122, but the afternoon sees the swell hit 8ft from the south, which pushes it into expert territory. Winds go cross-onshore and it’s a bit rougher on the surface, so aim for the morning there if you’re skilled.

The final week from Wednesday 26 August onwards gets more inconsistent, with swells hanging around but winds turning increasingly onshore and periods getting jumbled. There’s a shot on Friday 28 August morning: a small 4ft SSE swell with light offshore wind, but energy is low at 334, and the conditions are described as very ordinary – surfable but nothing special.

Bottom line: Thursday 13 August is your absolute standout – world-class combination of size, period, and wind. Then circle Sunday 23 and Monday 24 August for the next real clean run, especially Monday morning and afternoon. The rest is wind-affected or flat. Crowds are possible at times, but with this forecast, you’ll find plenty of waves if you pick your windows.

Stay frothy.
Rusty.

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