Ribanceira Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up at Ribanceira, but there are a couple of windows worth paddling out for. Let’s break it down.

The first decent session kicks off on Wednesday morning, 2 September. The sky’s clear, and we’ve got a 7ft swell rolling in from the SE with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is light offshore from the SW, keeping the surface glassy and clean. The combined energy is sitting at 881 (moderate), so there’s a bit of push behind it. Water temp is 66°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The setup is a sheltered sandbar, and it’s fairly consistent, so expect a few solid sets. This is the pick of the first week, hands down.

Moving into the afternoon of the 2nd, the swell drops a touch to 7ft, but the wind turns cross-shore from the SE, making it a bit messy. Not the best, but still surfable if you’re keen.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are a write-off—onshore winds and dropping swell, with the energy falling to 564 and then 106. The wind is either cross-on or straight on, so it’s choppy and poor. Don’t waste your time.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see a small, cleanish window with light offshore winds, but the swell is only 3–4ft from the S with a short period of 8–9 seconds. The energy is weak (199). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Monday the 7th picks up again with a 6ft SW swell and a light offshore breeze, energy climbing to 567 (moderate). The morning looks clean and fun. The afternoon holds 6ft with a clean cross-off wind. This is a solid second standout.

After that, from Tuesday the 8th through to the 12th, it’s a rough stretch—onshore winds, small swell, and energy dropping as low as 17. There’s a gap of several days where the surf goes flat or poor. The only bright spot is late Friday the 11th afternoon, where a 5ft S swell with a short 7-second period shows up under glassy conditions (energy 272). That’s a surprise, but it’s weak and short-period.

The second week has a couple of promising days. Sunday the 13th morning brings a 4ft S swell with a longer 11-second period and offshore SW wind at 15 mph, energy at 335 (moderate). It’s clean but not huge. The real standout of the second week lands on Monday the 14th: a 6ft E swell with an 8-second period, gentle offshore wind from the SW, and energy at 845 (moderate). The morning is clean, and the afternoon holds 6ft with light cross-off wind. This is the best bet for the second week.

Tuesday the 15th is onshore and messy, but Thursday the 17th morning is a real treat—glassy, calm, and a 5ft ESE swell with a 10-second period, energy at 562 (moderate). The wind is dead calm, so it’ll be like glass. That’s a decent session to close out the forecast.

Overall, the best sessions are Wednesday morning 2 September and Monday morning 7 September in the first week, and Monday 14 September and Thursday 17 September in the second week. The sandbar at Ribanceira is fairly consistent, so even when it’s small, it can hold a wave. Crowds are possible, so get in early.

Rusty.

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