Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a look at what we've got for the Riet River stretch. It's a point break, and it's a bit of a finicky character—only breaks inconsistently, but when it's on, it can be a beauty. The water's sitting at about 68°, which is pretty average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

The first few days are a write-off, to be honest. Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are all about cross-onshore winds and messy, lumpy conditions. The swell's there, around 7ft to 8ft from the ESE, but with hardly any southerly in it, it's just not lining up for the point. The wave energy is strong, over 1200, but it’s wasted.

Things start to look up on Wednesday the 5th. That morning we've got a clean, light cross-offshore wind and a small 3ft SSW swell. Then, in the afternoon, it goes glassy with the same size but a nice 14-second period. The energy is still weak (337), but it's clean and lined up. It's not a standout, but it's a paddle.

Now, Thursday the 6th is the real highlight. That morning, the swell jumps to just under 8ft out of the SSW, with a 14-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore. The combined energy is pumping hard (2250). This is proper groundswell, and this is exactly what a point break like Riet River lives for. It's going to be clean, powerful, and have some proper shape. Be warned, though: at over 8ft in the afternoon, it gets serious and is really only for the experienced crew.

The weekend of the 7th and 8th is a mess—strong winds and a massive, messy swell on Saturday afternoon hitting 18ft. Not for surfing; that's kite territory.

Sunday the 9th is a cruiser. A clean 18ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and a gentle offshore wind. That's an expert session, plain and simple. The energy reading is off the charts at nearly 16,000. It's massive, but the wind is perfect, so for the big-wave chargers, this is the wave of the window. After that, the swell drops back to more manageable 10ft to 13ft through the start of the next week, but the winds get a bit cranky.

Later on, Sunday the 16th looks like a sneaky good one. It's a week and a half away, so don't bet the farm on it, but the forecast shows a glassy morning with a 5ft SSW swell and a very long 19-second period. The energy is strong (1620). Long-period groundswell at a point break is a beautiful thing.

So, if you're picking your moment, Thursday the 6th morning is the stand-out for classic, clean point surf. And for the big-wave boys, Sunday the 9th is the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

Read more