Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking for Riet River over the next couple of weeks.

Right, so the whole forecast is built around one spot: Riet River (a point break). It’s inconsistent, but when it lights up, it can be magic. Water temp is sitting at 59°, which is a good 8° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s *very* unusual, so you’ll want a good 5/4 and booties if you’re paddling out.

We’ve got a few smaller days to kick things off before the real juice shows up. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th have some clean 4ft to 6ft SW swell with cross-off winds, but the energy is moderate (529 to 1027). It’s rideable, but nothing to clear your schedule for. Tuesday afternoon sees the energy jump into three digits (1027), but the commentary flags marginal tide conditions.

Now, Wednesday the 19th morning is where you want to be. We’ve got a 7ft SSW groundswell, period of 12 seconds, and the wind goes *glass* – that's dead calm. The energy is pumping at 1342, and the hard-to-find optimum direction of SSW is locking in perfectly for the point. This is the standout of the first week. It’s solid enough to be excellent for experienced surfers, but at just over 6ft, beginners might find it a handful. Keep in mind that longer-period swell like this sometimes throws straight walls at beach breaks, but at a point like Riet River? It should peel beautifully.

The swell builds later in the week, with Thursday the 20th seeing 10ft to 12ft SSW swell, but winds get a little cross or cross-off, and the recorded comments flag marginal conditions despite the high energy (3135 to 3919). At that size, it’s expert territory only.

Friday the 21st morning drops back to a cleaner 7ft SSW swell with light cross-off winds and 1181 energy – another solid session for those who know what they're doing. The weekend sees the swell pulse around the 7ft mark, but winds pick up to moderate breeze from the SW, keeping it clean but a bit bumpy.

Looking into the second week, there’s a promising window on Monday the 24th morning: glassy conditions again with a 7ft SSW groundswell at 12 seconds and 1069 energy. That’s a top pick for that period. Then a pulse of bigger swell rolls in around Sunday the 30th and Monday the 1st of September, with 10ft to 13ft SSW groundswell and massive energy readings (over 5000). But the winds start to get messy from the ENE later, and the commentary says poor surf conditions. That size is only for experts anyway, and the wind will make it a battle.

The standout session is hands-down Wednesday the 19th morning with that glassy, 7ft SSW groundswell. The backup is Monday the 24th morning for another glassy window with solid 7ft SSW swell.

Stay warm out there.

- Rusty

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