Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with you – this sixteen-day stretch is a real battle. The swell is there, but the wind just won’t play nice. We’ve got a week of onshore and cross-onshore winds that are going to trash most of what’s coming through. It’s not a total write-off, but you’ll have to be patient and pick your moments.

The water’s sitting at 60°, which is a massive 6° colder than normal for this time of year. That’s a serious chill, so don’t even think about a rashie. You’ll want a thick steamer.

Let’s run through it. Tuesday the 14th kicks off with a bit of size – 6ft swell from the SE at 10 seconds – but it’s blown out by a NE wind. The energy is moderate (558), but it’s a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday the 15th and 16th are the same story: 4ft to 3ft, cross-onshore winds, and choppy. It’s ugly. The swell drops into the weekend, bottoming out around 0.7ft to 1.0ft on the 18th and 19th. The 19th has a moment of glassy conditions on the Sunday morning with a tiny 1.0ft swell from the S, but there’s no energy (31) and it’s just a flat pond.

The first real chance comes on the 22nd of July (Wednesday). The morning is clean with a light offshore SSW wind, but the swell is a weak 2ft. The afternoon is where it gets interesting: 2ft from the S at 11 seconds, with a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is moderate (152) and it’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. If you’re desperate, it’s the best of a bad lot.

Then, we get a bit of a pulse. The 26th of July (Sunday morning) has 5ft from the SSE at a short 6 seconds, with glassy conditions. The energy is moderate (307) and it’s clean. But the wind swings onshore in the arvo, and it gets messy. The 27th has a 3ft swell from the S at a long 12 seconds, but it’s a cross-onshore mess.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is the 28th and 29th of July (Tuesday and Wednesday). The swell is consistent at 4ft to 5ft from the SSE, with periods jumping to 13-14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is strong, hitting 917 and 934. But the wind is a dirty cross-onshore from the NNE both days. It’s frustrating because the swell is there, but the wind is ruining it. This is a spot for strong paddlers who don’t mind a bit of chop. For a beginner, 5ft is manageable, but the wind makes it tough.

Ribanceira (sandbar) – This is a sheltered spot, and it needs a clean S swell to work. The optimum direction is from the S, but we’re getting a mix of SE and SSE. It’s fairly consistent, but it’s letting us down. The crowds are a *sometimes* thing, but with the conditions this poor, it’ll be empty.

Honestly, there’s no real gem here. The 26th morning with the glassy 5ft is the closest we get to a decent session, but it’s short-lived. The 22nd afternoon is a consolation prize. If you’re a kiter, those 3ft to 5ft days with the onshore wind might be more your game than mine.

Remember, a long period swell like the 12-14 second stuff we see at the end is best for points and reefs, but on a sandbar, it can just break too straight. Not ideal.

Keep an eye on the forecasts – it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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