Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for Ribanceira. We've got a solid run of surf kicking off this Friday morning, but the real magic is tucked away for the dedicated ones. Let's get into it.

The week starts with some surfable waves, but it's nothing to write home about. Friday morning the 21st, we're looking at 4ft SSW groundswell, but with a short period of 7 seconds, it's a bit weak and won't have much push. The wind is offshore from the SW, which keeps the faces clean, but the wave energy is pretty ordinary, clocking in at 188 (weak). The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Saturday the 22nd is a step up. The morning brings in 8ft S swell, with a moderate offshore wind from the SW. The energy jumps to 923 (moderate), and you'll find some fun, clean walls. Saturday afternoon is a bit messy with a cross-offshore wind, but the morning window is the pick of the day.

Now, Sunday the 23rd is where we see it coming together. The morning has 6ft S swell with a longer 12-second period, and a light offshore breeze from the SW – that's clean, lined-up surf. The energy reads 988 (moderate). The afternoon gets even better: 7ft S swell, same long period, and the wind is only a gentle cross-off. Energy hits 1392 (strong), meaning there's some proper grunt in the water. This is the best of the weekend.

But the standout, the one you've been waiting for, is Monday the 24th. The morning session is absolute perfection for experienced surfers. We've got a 10ft S swell – that's solid, big, and powerful – with a 16-second period, which is a very long groundswell. The wind is glassy. Zero. Nada. The combined energy is a massive 3769 (very strong). This is not for beginners, this is for the crew who know what they're doing. A swell this long and this big will be lining up beautifully, but it's a lot of water moving. After Monday afternoon, the conditions deteriorate with some onshore and cross-shore winds through the rest of the week, and the swell drops right off.

From Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the month, it's a long, quiet stretch. The swell bottoms out, with some days barely having any rideable waves. There's a brief flicker on the morning of Tuesday the 1st of September, with 3ft E swell and glassy conditions (energy a weak 116), but it's small and ordinary.

Then, look here – Wednesday the 2nd of September sees a new pulse. The morning brings 7ft S swell, with a short 8-second period, but with a clean offshore wind from the WSW. The energy is 585 (moderate). The afternoon is similar at 8ft with a light cross-off. It's a return of cleaner surf after the long flat spell, but with that short period, don't expect the same quality as the Monday stand-out. After that, it's back into onshore wind and poor conditions for the rest of the outlook.

The absolute best on offer is Monday the 24th of August's morning at Ribanceira. It's the one. For the rest of us, Sunday the 23rd afternoon and Saturday the 22nd morning are your best bets.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty.

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