Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a look at what's on offer for Ribanceira.

The next week and a half looks like a bit of a mixed bag, with a whole lot of nothing for the first few days, then a really solid pulse of swell moving in. It’s one of those periods where you’ve gotta be patient, but the payoff looks like it could be very special indeed.

The water's sitting at 64°F, which is a bit colder than you'd normally expect for this time of year – a couple of degrees cooler than average, so you might want an extra mm of rubber.

Friday August 28th, Saturday August 29th, and Sunday August 30th – Honestly, you can sleep in. Friday is a write-off with cross-on winds and small, weak swell. Saturday has a tiny window of offshore winds but the waves are just too small to get excited about, only 1ft to 1ft. Sunday morning sees a little bump in size to 4ft with clean offshore winds, but the period is a short 8 seconds and the conditions are described as very ordinary. The combined energy is moderate at best (234). It's a pass for me.

Monday August 31st and Tuesday September 1st are messy. Monday gets blown out by onshore winds and a jumpy 6ft swell with strong energy (598), but it’s just poor. Tuesday morning is cleaner with a 3ft swell and offshore wind, but it's still very average. The real eye-opener is Tuesday afternoon: a solid 10ft SSW groundswell with a 10-second period and a massive combined energy of 1635. The wind is fresh offshore, so it'll be clean, but that's a serious amount of water. This is for experienced surfers only – 10ft is big, heavy stuff. Beginners, stay on the beach.

Now, the absolute standout. Wednesday September 2nd and Thursday September 3rd are where this forecast lights up. Wednesday morning is an absolute gem: a 10ft S swell at 11 seconds, light offshore breeze, and the forecast is for *very good surf conditions*. The energy is enormous at 1855. This is groundswell of the highest order. Wednesday afternoon drops slightly to 8ft but still with clean cross-off winds.

But the crown jewel is Thursday September 3rd, morning. You’ve got a 7ft S swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is glassy. Absolutely dead calm. The combined energy is still strong at 816 and conditions are expected to be *good*. That’s the session you circle. It's still decent-sized, but manageable for strong intermediates, and with the glassy surface at Ribanceira, it’ll be as clean as it gets. Thursday afternoon turns a bit junky with cross-on wind, so make the most of the morning.

Friday September 4th through Sunday September 6th – it fades right back down. Small, weak swells and cross-on winds again. Not worth the paddle.

Then, Monday September 7th and Tuesday September 8th – another strong pulse. A 8ft SSE groundswell with a very long 13-second period hits on Monday morning. Offshore wind and the energy is cranking at 2085. This is *excellent* for experienced surfers. That long period will mean long, powerful lines, perfect for the sandbar if it holds its shape. An 8ft wave with that much energy is a serious handful. There’s good waves right through Tuesday as well, with 7ft and clean offshore winds, still packing a punch at 1503.

The rest of the run into the second week (September 9th to 12th) drops in quality. Wednesday 9th is still fun with a 7ft swell and offshore winds, but the energy drops. After that, it’s onshore winds and rising chop, so the clean windows close up.

If you’re picking one session, it’s Thursday September 3rd morning for that glassy 7ft S swell. The other big shout is Monday September 7th morning for the big, long-period groundswell if you’ve got the experience and the board for it.

Rusty.

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