Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in. Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for Ribanceira. This is a classic sandbar setup, and it's a tale of two halves. For the first few days, it's a bit of a write-off, but then the ocean really wakes up.

The week ahead starts with a yawn. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are total write-offs with poor surf and onshore winds. You're looking at small, weak dribble with combined swell energy hanging around 114 to 209 (weak to moderate). Not worth getting wet for. Then, Saturday the 22nd brings a real shift. The swell jumps to 8 feet from the S but that's too big and messy for the sandbar with onshore wind for the morning. It's still ordinary.

The real standout, the absolute gem in this forecast, is Monday the 24th. Early morning at Ribanceira you're looking at a solid 10 feet of S groundswell, with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 3817 (strong to very strong). That's proper groundswell, and with a clean offshore wind from the SW, it'll be cooking. This is for experienced surfers only—it's a big, powerful wave that will be barrelling down the bank. For the mere mortals, the Sunday the 23rd is a cracking option too. You've got 6 to 7 feet of S swell with a 12-second period, clean cross-off winds, and combined energy in the 918–1342 range (moderate to strong). It's a much friendlier size and will offer plenty of fun, long walls.

After that high, the wind turns nasty. From Tuesday the 25th right through to the 30th of August, the onshore and cross-onshore winds trash the surf. The swell drops, and it's mostly poor conditions. There's a brief, glassy moment on the morning of Friday the 28th, but with only 2 feet of weak energy (129), it's just a knee-high dribbler.

Then, into the first week of September, we get another pulse. The 31st of August and the 1st of September see moderate SW swells with offshore winds, but the conditions are ordinary to good at best. It’s a bit of a gamble with rain in the mix. The water temp here is around 67°, which is about normal for this time of year, so a steamer might be handy early but not essential.

The long-range standout is a curious one. On the morning of the 4th of September, the charts show a sudden 10 feet S swell with a moderate 9-second period and massive energy (2183). But the onshore wind from the ENE means it's going to be a messy, choppy beast. Honestly, for a sandbar like Ribanceira, that setup looks more interesting for the kite crew than for a paddle surfer. It's one to keep a loose eye on, but don't set the alarm.

So, if you're after the best the month has to offer: Sunday the 23rd for the everyday surfer, and Monday the 24th if you're a charger.

Rusty.

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