Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Riet River.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – the next week or so is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid swell windows, but the wind is going to be a real pain in the arse for most of it. The first real sniff of anything decent doesn't come until a week from now. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is a bit colder than what we’d normally expect for this time of year.

Riet River is a point break, and it’s inconsistent, so it needs the right combination to fire. It’s exposed to the swell, and it loves a good SSW direction.

The whole first week is a write-off. From Saturday the 5th right through to Sunday the 13th, we’ve got howling onshore winds, big messy lumps, and poor conditions. There’s a massive spike in energy on the 6th with a 22-second period groundswell pushing 8 ft, but the wind is straight on it. It’s a frustrating waste of a big swell. Then a monster 28 mph cross-onshore on the 7th just wrecks it completely. You’d be better off taking up golf.

Now, after that long drought, we finally get a window. Monday morning, 14th September is our first real standout. The wind swings to a strong cross-offshore from the WSW at 25 mph, and we’ve got an 8 ft SW swell with a solid 11-second period. It’s going to be a bit of a handful – that’s expert-level size – but the energy is strong (1798) and the wind is clean. The afternoon is a touch smaller at 7 ft but still clean. This is the one to circle on the calendar if you’ve got the skill.

As we move into the second week, the pattern gets a bit wild. Wednesday afternoon, 16th September brings a massive 12 ft SSW swell with a 13-second period and a strong cross-offshore wind. The energy is absolutely pumping (4016), but again, that’s big, heavy water for serious experts only. The period is good, but at a point break like Riet, that’s a good thing – it won’t just close out.

Thursday, 17th September keeps the goods coming with an 8 ft SSW swell in the morning and a 8 ft in the afternoon, both with clean cross-offshore winds. The morning session looks the pick, with a slightly longer period (14 seconds) and that fresh breeze keeping it glassy. Expect a crowd because the waves will be there.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th fades again. The swell drops right off, and the wind gets messy onshore, then swings back to a strong cross-offshore on the 20th with a short-period 10 ft SW swell. That’s a lumpy, powerful mess that’s only for the die-hards.

So, to sum it up for you: the first week is a total dud. The real start of the action is Monday, 14th September, with the standout being the Thursday, 17th September morning session for the best combination of size, long-period energy, and clean wind. Get on it, or don’t bother.

Rusty.

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