Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s your old mate Rusty here, having a good hard look at the charts for Ribanceira over the next couple of weeks. Let’s get straight into it.

Gotta be honest with ya, the start of this run is pretty flat and ugly. Saturday the 29th, we’ve got tiny, weak 1ft swell from the southeast with a short period. That combined energy is only 25, which is just about nothing, so don’t bother paddling out. There’s a bit of light rain and a gentle offshore, but the waves are just too poor.

Sunday the 30th stays small. That morning glassy offshore wind is beautiful – 3 mph from the south-southwest – but the swell’s only 2ft with a pathetic 5-second period. You’ll be bobbing around with nothing to ride. The afternoon fills in a touch to 4ft, but it swings onshore and gets messy. Not worth it.

Monday the 31st is a write-off. We get a jump in size to 8ft from the east-southeast, and the combined energy is up to 597 (moderate), but it’s onshore, with heavy rain in the morning. Just a messy, blown-out situation.

Tuesday the 1st of September chucks us a bone. The morning comes in with a clean 5ft from the east-southeast, and a light offshore breeze from the southwest. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The energy is moderate at 251. The afternoon glass-off? Nah, the wind howls at 22 mph. That’s a fresh offshore, which cleans the surface, but you’ll be fighting a gale.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 2nd of September is a proper standout. Clear skies, gentle offshore wind from the southwest at 9 mph, and the swell jumps to 8ft from the south-southeast with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a potent 1124, that’s strong. This is the best early call. The waves will have some punch and shape, and it’s all offshore. This is for the more experienced crew, though – 8ft isn’t beginner territory.

Thursday the 3rd to Saturday the 5th drops off again. The swell hangs around 3ft to 5ft, but cross-on or onshore winds wreck the quality. Sunday the 6th of September is another big call. We’ve got a solid 10ft groundswell from the south-southwest, energy at 2586 (very strong!), and a moderate offshore. This is *big* and powerful. Only for the experts. The period is 10 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell that will be barrelling on the sandbars, but with that size and a period just under the 11-second mark, it might wall up quick. Still, a serious session for the brave.

Monday the 7th keeps the size around 7ft to 7ft with moderate offshore winds, but Tuesday the 8th of September is a sneaky gem. Glassy conditions in the morning, and a 6ft swell from the south-southeast with an 11-second period. That’s a longer period groundswell, so it’ll have good shape and energy (889 combined). It’s clean, it’s glassy, and it’s a proper wave.

After that, from Wednesday the 9th all the way through Sunday the 13th of September, it’s a real mixed bag. Breaks are inconsistent, the swell direction shifts to the east and north-east, and the wind is often onshore or cross-on. The energy is still okay at times (like Saturday the 12th with 815 from the east), but that’s paired with an onshore wind or cross-onshore. It’s a long, flat run for good, clean surf.

So, looking at the whole picture, the two real standouts are Wednesday the 2nd of September and Tuesday the 8th of September. The 2nd has the size and power for a solid paddle-out, and the 8th has that glassy, longer-period goodness. Wednesday the 6th is a beast, but you’d want to be a local charger.

Rusty, signing off.

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