Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s shaping up for Riet River over the next couple of weeks. This is a classic point break, exposed to the south-west, and it’s an inconsistent setup – meaning it needs the right swell to really fire. Right now, we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands.

The first real surf worth paddling out for hits us on Friday morning, the 11th of September. The swell is sitting at a solid 5ft from the south-west, with a lovely long 13-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a cross-off from the south-south-west at 9 mph, keeping the surface clean. The combined swell energy is a solid moderate 626, and the wave comment says it all: expect very good surf conditions. The water temperature is 60°, which is a whopping 7° colder than normal – so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit, it’s much colder than usual for this time of year.

This Friday morning session is the standout of the whole outlook. It’s not huge, but the quality is there, and with a point break like this, that long-period swell will wrap in nicely and offer some proper lines. Just be aware, crowds are possible here sometimes, so get in early.

After that, things go quiet pretty quick. Friday afternoon turns onshore and messy. Saturday the 12th is a write-off with onshore winds. Sunday the 13th sees the swell bump up to 6ft with a very long 16-second period – combined energy hits a strong 1640 – but the wind is howling onshore at 28 mph. It’s just blown out. That strong onshore flow and beach/point setup makes it look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing that day.

Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are marginal at best – small swell, light but cross-onshore winds, and not much to write home about. Wednesday the 16th morning shows some promise with 6ft south-west swell and clean cross-off winds, but the period drops to 10 seconds and the combined energy is strong at 1326 – still, the wave comment is only marginal, so don’t expect perfection.

The rest of the first week stays pretty average. Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th have some moderate swell and light winds, but the direction and quality are just off. The only other slight glimmer is Friday the 18th afternoon – 6ft from the south-south-west, 12-second period, light cross-onshore breeze, and combined energy at a strong 1138. The score there is the highest of the later period, but still not a true standout.

The second week is a mixed bag. Saturday the 19th has clean skies but onshore winds. Sunday the 20th gets a big pulse – 10ft from the south-south-west, 16-second period, and combined energy of 4786 – but it’s a strong cross-onshore gale. That’s expert-only at best, and even then, it’ll be a mess. Monday the 21st is small and choppy. Tuesday the 22nd has a weird 7-second period windswell, which is poor quality. Wednesday the 23rd morning offers a small clean 5ft from the south-west with a moderate cross-off, but it’s just okay.

From the 24th onward, it’s mostly big onshore slop or gale-force offshore winds that make paddling out near impossible. The 26th of September has a 4ft south-south-west swell with a very long 16-second period, but the wind is a near-gale offshore – you’ll be getting blown off your board before you even take off.

Overall, this is a patchy outlook. Riet River is inconsistent at the best of times, and while there are a few moments of clean surf, Friday morning the 11th is the only real gem. If you miss that, you’re waiting for a lot of windy days and marginal conditions. Forecasts can always change, but right now, it’s a one-morning show.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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