Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

Alright, so the outlook for the next 16 days is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a real feast-or-famine situation. The first week is mostly a write-off, but the second week has some serious potential, especially if you’re an experienced surfer.

The first few days, from Friday the 31st of July right through to Sunday the 10th of August, are mostly a bust. The wind is just rubbish – onshore and cross-onshore, ruining any chance of clean waves. There's a little window on Tuesday the 4th of August afternoon with a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny at 3 ft from the SW, so it's not really worth getting excited about. The same goes for Wednesday the 5th of August, with a small 3 ft SSW swell and a very long 16-second period, but the wind is a bit cross-on. For the most part, it’s a long, frustrating stretch of flat, choppy, or just plain messy conditions.

Now, Thursday the 6th of August is a wake-up call. The swell jumps to a solid 13 ft from the SW, packing a massive 5436 units of energy. That’s some serious power. But it’s a big, raw swell. It’s way too big for beginners and only for the hardcore crew. The morning looks clean with a cross-off wind, but the afternoon gets lumpy and cross-shore. It’s a big day, but not a friendly one.

The real standout comes on Saturday the 8th of August. The morning is looking magic. We’ve got a clean 7 ft swell from the SSW, a 14-second period, and a glassy cross-offshore wind from the SSW at just 3 mph. This is where Riet River (Riet-River) will be firing. The water temp is about 68°, which is normal for the time of year. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes", so you might have some company, but with that kind of quality, it’s expected. The 7 ft is a solid size - it’s not for novices, but for the intermediate crew, it’s going to be a dream.

Then, on the final weekend, Saturday the 15th of August, we get a late reward. The morning has a clean 7 ft SW swell with a nice offshore wind from the WNW at just 6 mph. This is another excellent window for experienced surfers. The afternoon is even better: a clean 7 ft SW swell and it turns glassy. Zero wind. That’s the kind of session you wait all year for. It’s a late bloomer, but a true standout.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a slog. Don’t bother. Focus your energy on the morning of Saturday the 8th of August, and the afternoon of Saturday the 15th of August. That’s where the magic is.

Rusty.

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