Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks around Ribanceira are a bit of a mixed bag, and I’d say it’s more of a “wait and see” situation than a full-on swell chase. The forecast is thin on the ground for anything that’ll get your heart pumping, but there are a few windows where you might get a knee-high slide if the timing’s right.

Let’s start with what’s on offer. The first standout is this Monday morning, the 27th of July. We’ve got a clean, glassy start with the wind coming from the NW at 3 mph – proper morning glass. The swell is a small 2ft from the south, running at 12 seconds, which is a decent period for a sandbar setup. The combined energy is moderate (219), so it’s not a powerhouse, but it’s enough to move you around. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. This is the pick of the early week – a bit ordinary, but surfable for an intermediate frother.

After that, Monday afternoon turns cross-on from the ENE at 6 mph, and the conditions drop off. Tuesday morning the 28th is also a write-off with a cross-on breeze, but Tuesday afternoon flips back to glassy with the same south swell at 2ft and 12 seconds (energy 123). It’s still small, but if you’re keen for a late session, that’s your window. Wednesday morning the 29th keeps the glassy feel with a south wind at 3 mph, and the swell holds at 2ft, 12 seconds (148 energy). Wednesday afternoon gets a little cleaner with a cross-off breeze from the SSE at 6 mph, and the swell bumps up to 3ft, 11 seconds (158 energy). That’s your best bet of the first week – clean, small, but surfable.

Thursday morning the 30th sees offshore winds from the SW at 3 mph, with a 3ft, 9-second swell (99 energy). It’s weak, but the wind is clean. From Thursday afternoon, things go downhill fast. Friday the 31st is a write-off with onshore winds up to 16 mph, and the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August is just as bad – choppy, blown out, and tiny. We’re looking at a solid gap of poor surf from Thursday afternoon all the way through to Monday the 3rd of August, with the swell dropping to 0.5ft or 1ft. That’s a long lull.

Now, the second week starts to show a little pulse. Tuesday morning the 4th of August brings glassy conditions again, with a 2ft south swell at 12 seconds (105 energy). It’s small, but clean. Tuesday afternoon turns onshore, so stick to the morning. Wednesday the 5th has a bigger 4ft south swell (10 seconds, 203 energy), but it’s blown out by onshore NNE winds at 9 mph. Not great.

Thursday the 6th of August gets a bit more interesting. The morning has a cross-off SW wind at 12 mph, with a 3ft, 9-second swell from the SSE (96 energy – weak). But Thursday afternoon sees the swell jump to 4ft from the SSE at 9 seconds, with a cross-off breeze from the south at 9 mph. The energy is moderate (349), and the wind is clean. That’s your standout for the second week – a bit of size, clean conditions, and a decent push. Keep in mind the 9-second period is a bit short, so the waves will be a little softer, but for Ribanceira’s sandbar, it could still offer some fun lines.

Friday the 7th of August has the biggest swell of the window – 5ft from the south at 10 seconds (374 energy) in the morning, and 4ft at 11 seconds (569 energy – strong) in the afternoon. But the wind is onshore both sessions, so it’s a disappointment. If you’re a confident surfer and can handle choppy conditions, you might find something, but it’s not clean.

From Saturday the 8th through to Tuesday the 11th, it’s back to small, onshore, or glassy but tiny. The 11th of August has a glassy morning with no wind, but the swell is only 1ft with a pathetic 7-second period (18 energy). Not worth paddling out.

So, overall, the best on offer is Thursday afternoon the 6th of August at Ribanceira. You’ve got a 4ft south-southeast swell, clean cross-off wind, and moderate energy. It’s not a world-class day, but it’s the best of a pretty average run. The Monday morning the 27th of July and Wednesday afternoon the 29th of July are your other windows for a small, clean session. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” at Ribanceira, so with conditions this ordinary, you’ll likely have the place to yourself.

Rusty.

Read more