Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s talk about Riet River. This is a point break that’s a bit of a moody character – it’s inconsistent, so it doesn’t fire all the time, but when it does, it can be a real treat. Right now, the water is sitting at 63°, which is 4° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’re going to want a good 4/3, maybe even a hood. That’s a serious chill for late August.

The action kicks off this Sunday morning, the 23rd of August. It’s a clean 10ft SW groundswell with a period of 11 seconds, pushed along by a light offshore breeze from the WSW. That’s proper. The energy is pumping at 3200 (moderate to strong), but at 10ft, this is for experienced surfers only – it’s too big for the beginners. The cross-off wind in the afternoon will keep it lined up, but it’ll drop to 7ft.

Monday the 24th is a step down but still very fun. You’ve got a clean 5ft SSW swell with a nice 12-second period, that’s a solid groundswell. Light cross-off winds will keep the faces tidy. Combined energy around 722 (moderate).

Tuesday the 25th is where it gets interesting. Morning brings a 5ft SSW swell, but the period stretches out to a long 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, better shaped waves, and longer lulls between sets. Energy jumps to 2369 (moderate to strong). The caveat is that long-period groundswell can break a bit straight on a beach setup, but on a point break like Riet River, it should wrap in nicely. Afternoon gets a little stronger at 6ft but the wind picks up to 16 mph, still cross-off and clean.

The first real standout is Sunday the 30th of August. After a few days of poor, messy conditions and tiny surf, things turn around in the afternoon. A fresh 10ft SW swell rolls in with a 9-second period. Now, that’s a shorter period, so less grunt, but the wind swings to a gentle offshore from the west, making it clean. Energy is 1635 (moderate to strong). This one has the feel of a sneaky good session.

But the real standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is the window around Friday the 4th of September through to Monday the 7th of September. This is a big event. Friday morning kicks off with a massive 15ft SW groundswell at a very long 17 seconds. The energy is an extreme 12924. That is a serious ocean. Winds are strong offshore from the WSW at 28 mph. It’s clean, but it’s also heavy – hard to paddle into, and only for the absolute expert crew. Friday afternoon goes even bigger at 20ft, but the forecast notes it’s predicted to be too big for this break. The same goes for Saturday morning the 5th, with a 21ft SW swell and energy hitting 28876. The point break might shut down or get too unruly.

The better window for the big but rideable stuff looks like Saturday afternoon (15ft SSW, 14s, clean cross-off) and Sunday the 6th (18ft SW, 13-14s, clean but fresh breeze). Energy is over 12,000. This is a stretch of powerful, clean, heavy groundswell. Water will be churning. This isn’t the week for a learner. If you’re an experienced charlie with the right board, the 4th to the 7th of September is the big dance, but keep in mind it’s a long-range call – promising but less certain as we get closer.

Keep an eye on the crowd situation here. It’s sometimes busy, and with a run of swell like this, you can bet the locals will be out. For the big days, expect a crew.

Alright, the surf on offer is mostly for the strong swimmers, with a solid first week and a monster second week shaping up. The inconsistent nature of Riet River means you’ve got to pick your windows, and there are a few good ones here.

Rusty.

Read more