Surf Forecasts:
Ribanceira surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, S swell with 1,199 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ribanceira this week:
The surf forecast for Ribanceira over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ribanceira in the next 16 days are 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-03) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ribanceira over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me tell you what I’m seeing for the coming weeks at Ribanceira. First thing you gotta know: the start of this stretch is a bit of a bust. We’ve got a run of tiny, choppy, poor surf right from the get-go on the 16th through to the 20th. It’s mostly NNE winds mucking things up, making the water messy. There’s almost no energy in the water – we’re talking combined energy values as low as 8 (weak energy) on the 18th and 19th. You’d be wasting your time. That gives us a real dry gap of about five days.
Then, on the 21st, things start to shift. The wind goes cross-offshore from the SSE and we see a jump to 7 ft of swell from the S, with the combined energy hitting 608 (moderate wave energy). The waves are starting to have some push. It’s still not the best, but it’s finally surfable.
The real standout is going to be Monday the 24th morning. That’s your big one. We’ve got a solid 10 ft swell from the S roaring in with a period of 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell with real punch. The wind is offshore from the SW and it’s gentle. The water will be clean. Now, 10 ft is only for the experienced crew – beginners stay on the sand. The combined energy is a huge 2544 (strong wave energy). For a break like Ribanceira, a sandbar setup, a long-period S swell can sometimes be a bit straight, but with that offshore wind cleaning it up, this is the session to aim for. The water’s about average for the time of year, no big anomaly.
Leading up to that, the 22nd and 23rd have some decent waves in the 5 ft to 6 ft range with light winds, and the 25th and 26th look good for a solid follow-up with glassy conditions and some great clean surf in the 4 ft to 6 ft range.
After the 27th, it fades back into small, choppy, onshore junk for the end of the month. The 31st picks up a little with 6 ft from the E, but it’s only ordinary, not a standout.
So, bottom line: wait out the first week. The morning of the 24th is your best shot – a big, powerful, clean groundswell for the experts.
– Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SE 12 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 10 | S 9 | N 4 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
108 | 80 | 51 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 59 | 113 | 39 | 33 | 12 | 608 | 1113 | 753 | 888 | 855 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | on | on | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 4:29PM0.58m | 4:36AM0.63m | 4:56PM0.54m | 5:22AM0.56m | 5:34PM0.49m | 00:07AM0.22m | 6:24AM0.50m | 6:24PM0.45m | 7:19AM0.45m | 12:30PM0.36m | 7:12PM0.42m | 8:18AM0.40m | 1:10PM0.39m | 8:07PM0.39m | 12:21PM0.42m | 10:23PM0.39m | ||||
Low Tide | 9:54PM0.19m | 10:53AM0.18m | 9:49PM0.20m | 11:51AM0.24m | 9:43PM0.20m | 9:36AM0.29m | 12:35PM0.29m | 10:01PM0.21m | 9:36AM0.32m | 3:01PM0.32m | 3:13AM0.21m | 4:25PM0.28m | 4:23AM0.16m | 12:13PM0.39m | ||||||
— | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 30 | 29 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 29 | 31 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 11 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 10 | S 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 10 | S 11 | S 12 |
108 | 80 | 51 | 19 | 9 | 428 | 428 | 316 | 192 | 146 | 110 | 113 | 39 | 146 | 125 | 149 | 119 | 753 | 888 | 855 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 13 | — | SE 10 | SE 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 8 | S 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | — | — | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 |
13 | 13 | — | 4 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 59 | 11 | 8 | 22 | 12 | — | — | 84 | 84 | 61 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 14 | SE 12 | SE 13 | S 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 6 | 7 | 37 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | — | NE 8 | NE 8 | N 4 | SSW 4 | S 8 | S 10 | — | — | — |
514 | 483 | 436 | 589 | 540 | 678 | 569 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 178 | 229 | 33 | 7 | 608 | 1113 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 47 | 111 | 111 | 121 | 111 | 70 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Catarina - Sul | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Ribanceira Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ribanceira provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ribanceira can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ribanceira surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Ribanceira) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Ribanceira may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Ribanceira is 6 km (4 miles) from Imbituba. If you plan a holiday in Santa Catarina - Sul, look for hotels and other accommodation in Imbituba. Imbituba has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











