Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Ribanceira over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first couple of days are pretty flat and messy, with a weak southerly swell around 1.6ft barely getting a look in. The wind and rain aren't doing us any favours either. Hold your horses, because the real action starts to build from Thursday morning the 23rd.

That’s when a solid pulse of south swell arrives, pushing up to 5.6ft with a period of 7 seconds. The wind is offshore from the southwest, and it’s clean. The energy is moderate (306), but the wave quality is just ordinary. The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on your calendar, is Thursday afternoon the 23rd. The swell jumps to 7.9ft from the south, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is a gentle offshore from the southwest, and the wave energy is pumping strong (1607). This is the best window of the whole forecast. The conditions are shaping up to be very good, but at 7.9ft, this is for the experienced crew only. It’s going to be a proper session for the experts.

Friday morning the 24th calms down a touch to a 6.6ft SSE swell, and the wind goes glassy. That’s a beautiful combination for clean, lined-up waves. The energy is still solid (711). Friday afternoon gets a bit questionable with the onshore breeze, but the morning is a winner.

Saturday the 25th drops to 4.9ft in the morning, with glassy conditions and a southeast swell. It’s a nice, clean size for intermediates, but the energy is moderate (386). Saturday afternoon gets a bit of a cross-offshore breeze, keeping it clean but smaller.

From Sunday the 26th onwards, the consistency drops off. The swell gets smaller and the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore for a few days, making for poor conditions. We’ve got a bit of a lull through to the end of the month.

The first week of August shows some promise again. Tuesday the 4th is worth a mention, with a 4.9ft ESE swell and a gentle offshore wind from the southwest in the morning. The energy is moderate (445) and the conditions look good. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-offshore breeze. After that, it fades out into smaller, less inspiring surf for the second week.

So, to sum it up: the absolute standout is Thursday afternoon the 23rd – big, clean, and powerful for the experts. Friday morning the 24th is your next best bet for a glassy session. The water is currently sitting at 66°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year.

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