Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at you with the full 16-day outlook for Riet River. No other spots on the radar worth talkin' about right now, so let's dig into what's on offer here.

The forecast kicks off with a bit of a slow start before we get some proper movement. There’s a gap right at the beginning: nothin’ really worth paddlin' out for on Sunday the 5th or Monday the 6th of July. The surf is small, the wind is messy, and the whole thing looks pretty lackluster. We’re talking a couple of days where you’re better off just watching the horizon.

Then things start to build. On Tuesday the 7th, we see the swell starting to kick, but the conditions are still a bit raw. By Wednesday the 8th, the swell gets more serious with a combined energy reading of 1859 (moderate to strong), and a 8ft swell from the SW at 13 seconds, but the wind is a fresh 35 km/h cross-off. The sets will be there, but that wind will make it a fight. Too much wind for a clean session, really.

Now, here’s where we get a true standout. Thursday the 9th of July, morning session. That’s the one you want to be awake for. The swell jumps to 12ft from the SW with a 12-second period, and the combined energy hits 6592 – that's strong wave energy, no question. The wind is a moderate cross-off at 20 km/h, and the break is clean. This isn't for beginners; this is for experienced surfers who know how to handle a solid point break. That much swell will be a beast.

Things get ugly after that peak. Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are blown out by strong onshore winds and even some thunderstorm risk. The swell is still solid, but the quality is gone. You can write those days off.

There’s a short window on Sunday the 12th of July morning where we get some offshore wind with a 7ft ESE swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds. It’ll be clean but a bit weak and won't hold together like the groundswell we had earlier.

We then move into a lull. The middle of the week, from July 13th to 16th, is all small, weak, or messy. Some glassy conditions on the 15th, but with only 2ft on offer, it’s not worth the hype.

Then, another standout shows up on the horizon, further out. Friday the 17th of July, afternoon session. The swell is back to 10ft from the S at 10 seconds, with a combined energy of 2011. The wind is a light cross-off, and the conditions are described as "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This one looks promising, though we’re a week and a half out, so treat it with a little caution.

Following that, Saturday the 18th morning has a nice 8ft swell with clean offshore wind, and then Sunday the 19th of July morning is another real gem. The swell is a solid 6ft from the SSW with a long 12-second period, and best of all – it’s glassy. Wind is dead calm out of the WSW at 5 km/h. The combined energy is 1353 (moderate), and the water temp is 64°F, which is a couple of degrees colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit. That morning will be the kind of session you remember, with clean lines and light crowds possible at this inconsistent point break. That’s your pick.

By the 20th, the wind swings onshore again, and we’re back to choppy, less appealing surf. So, to sum it up: the best windows are Thursday the 9th morning for the big, powerful stuff (experts only), and Sunday the 19th morning for that glassy, clean, long-period goodness. Don't sleep on those.

Rusty, signing off.

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