Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer at Ribanceira over the next couple of weeks. The water is running a bit colder than normal, sitting at 62°F, so you'll want the thick rubber.

First up, we've got a quick hit of small but clean surf to kick things off. Tuesday morning the 15th has a light SSW breeze keeping it clean on some 3ft south swell with a period of 10 seconds. The wave energy is moderate (250). It's surfable, but honestly, it's very ordinary. It'll get you wet, but don't expect much. That afternoon sees the wind pick up a touch from the south.

Now, Wednesday morning the 16th is a real standout in this window, and it's the only one worth getting excited about. We've got glassy conditions with a 4ft south swell. The period is a punchy 8 seconds, and the energy is moderate (351). The wind is dead calm – glass – and that's a major positive. It'll be clean and fun for an intermediate. The swell is from the south, which isn't its absolute optimum (S is what it prefers), but on a sandbar like Ribanceira with that kind of glass, it'll be the best you'll see for a while. Just be aware the period is on the short side, so the waves will be a bit steeper and more sectiony.

From Wednesday afternoon, it all goes pear-shaped. Onshore winds kick in from the northeast and it stays pretty grim through to the end of the month. There's a long, flat gap with no recommendations from Thursday the 17th right through to late September. We're talking over a week of poor conditions as the wind stays onshore or messy and the swell drops away to nothing. You'll see a few pulses of swell come through, like on the 28th with a big 6ft south swell packing serious energy (1990), but it's accompanied by onshore rain and cross-onshore winds. That one is too big for beginners anyway and would be a wind-blown mess. On the 27th, we get a brief look at a clean offshore wind from the SW with chest-high waves, but again, the period is a very short 6 seconds, making it crumbly.

The only other slight tease is the morning of the 30th with a clean cross-offshore wind, but the swell is only 3ft. It's surfable, but nothing to write home about.

So, the honest truth: Wednesday morning the 16th is your one and only window for a decent, clean session. Get on it. After that, you're waiting until at least the very end of the month or into October for the pattern to shift. Forecasts can change, but right now, it's a long dry spell.

Rusty.

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