Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Things are looking a bit mixed for Riet River over the next couple of weeks. There’s a solid window of opportunity early on, but you’ll need to pick your moments. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real call is Sunday morning, the 12th of July. We’ve got a 6 ft swell out of the SSW, but the wind is onshore from the ENE at 9 mph. The energy is moderate (1173), but it’s a bit messy. It’s marginal, and the tide might be a factor. Not a standout.

Skip Sunday afternoon – 16 mph onshore, storm risk, and the surf quality drops to poor.

Monday morning, the 13th, is where it gets interesting. The swell drops to 4 ft from the SSW, but the wind goes glassy, almost calm. That’s a major positive. The wave energy is moderate (302), and the period is a solid 11 seconds. It’s clean, but the swell is small. Still, a fun session for the intermediate crew.

Monday afternoon stays glassy with a 3 ft southerly swell. Clean, but nothing special.

Tuesday the 14th is glassy again, but the swell is tiny – 3 ft, with weak energy (111). Surfable, but very ordinary.

From Wednesday the 15th through to the 16th, the swell drops to flat, with only 1 ft to 2 ft. Not worth paddling out.

Now, here’s the standout. Thursday morning, the 16th of July. A new 6 ft SSW swell rolls in, with a long 14-second period. The energy is strong (1559). The wind is a light cross-onshore at 6 mph, so not perfect, but it’s a clean, powerful swell. This is a groundswell with real push. The point break setup at Riet River will handle the long period nicely. It’s a bit big for beginners, but fine for intermediates. The crowd is sometimes present, so expect a few friends out.

Friday morning the 17th brings a massive 13 ft SW swell, with a shorter 11-second period. The energy is very strong (3554), but the wind is a fresh cross-offshore at 22 mph. It’s clean, but that’s big, powerful, and dangerous. Only for experts. The afternoon drops to 12 ft, still strong (4164), but the wind swings to a moderate cross-offshore. Still, this is a serious, heavy day.

Saturday the 18th sees the swell at 10 ft from the S, but onshore winds and poor conditions. Not worth it.

Sunday the 19th drops to 5 ft, but the wind is onshore and choppy. Poor.

The following week has a few moments. Wednesday the 22nd of July morning brings a 6 ft SSW swell with a very long 14-second period, and fresh offshore wind from the W at 22 mph. That’s clean, powerful, but the wind is strong – hard to paddle into. The afternoon is better: 6 ft, same period, with a moderate offshore wind at 12 mph. The energy is strong (1628), and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is the second standout – a beautiful, clean, powerful groundswell hitting the point.

Thursday the 23rd is a bust – 8 ft but cross-onshore, choppy, and poor.

Friday the 24th morning is a gem. A 8 ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the N at 9 mph. The energy is very strong (3328). The conditions are clean, the period is super long, and the point will shape it up beautifully. This is for experienced surfers, but it’s a top-tier session. The afternoon gets messy with cross-onshore wind.

Saturday the 25th has 10 ft SSW swell, with moderate cross-offshore wind, but it’s big and powerful – only for the brave.

Sunday the 26th is a write-off – near gale offshore wind at 31 mph, making it impossible to paddle into.

Monday the 27th morning sees the swell drop to 6 ft, with a light cross-onshore breeze. The energy is moderate (1384), but it’s clean-ish. Not a standout, but a possible end-of-run session.

Overall, the best two windows are Thursday the 16th morning and Wednesday the 22nd afternoon. The 22nd is the cleaner, more manageable standout. The 16th is a close second. The big days in between are for experts only.

Rusty.

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