Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Overall, it’s a mixed bag for Riet River. We’ve got some solid pulses of energy coming through, but the wind is gonna be the main character here, often making it a battle. The first few days are a write-off, but there’s a couple of windows that look promising if you time it right.

The first half of the week is pretty grim. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are a complete no-go. The swell is either tiny or messy, and that ENE wind is just cross-on and lumpy, making a mess of anything. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday the 3rd morning offers a glimmer of hope with a 7 ft swell from the ESE, but that light cross-on breeze is still a bit of a spoiler. It’s marginal at best. The energy is moderate (1237), but unless you’re desperate, I’d give it a miss.

Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th are still pretty average. The wind is all over the shop, and the swell is small and unimpressive. Not worth paddling out.

Now, Thursday the 6th is where it gets interesting. We’ve got a decent 8 ft to 10 ft SSW groundswell with a solid period of 13-14 seconds. The energy is strong (2091 to 2820), and the wind is clean cross-off from the WSW. This is a serious swell. But, and this is a big but, that size is right in the expert-only zone. Riet River is a point break, so it should handle that long period well, but it’s going to be a beast. The sets will be big and powerful. This is a true standout for the experienced crew.

Friday the 7th drops off a bit. The swell is still there at 8 ft, but the wind swings back to the cross-on, ruining the surface. The energy is still strong (1805), but it’s choppy. Saturday the 8th morning has clean cross-off winds again, but the wind is fresh at 30 km/h (19 mph), and by the afternoon it’s a near gale. That’s more for the kite crew than paddle surfers, honestly.

Sunday the 9th, the wind goes offshore from the W, but it’s strong. The swell drops to 6 ft, but the wave energy is moderate (1043). It’s clean, but it’ll be a mission to paddle into. The following week fades into smaller, wind-affected slop, with a few little pulses of long period energy (18 seconds) on the 15th, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s not worth the effort.

If I had to call it, the standout is Thursday the 6th. That 8 ft to 10 ft SSW groundswell with clean cross-off wind is the best we’ll see. But it’s for the big wave hunters only. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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