Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, this is Rusty, and we’re dialing into the Riet River (Riet-River) region for a long look ahead. The water’s sitting around average for this time of year, which is fine by me.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a dry spell. The first serious surf we can talk about kicks off on Monday, August 3rd, but it’s a real tease. The morning shows a small 2ft SSW swell with a long 14-second period, giving the wave some shape, but it’s blowing cross-onshore and the energy is weak (354). It’s a marginal call at best. The morning of Tuesday, August 4th is a little better with a 3ft SW swell, but the wind is still cross-shore, making for a choppy, messy look. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, Wednesday morning, August 5th, we get a brief flicker of hope. The wind goes glassy, dead flat calm, and the swell is a clean 4ft from the SW. The period is short (7 seconds) so it’s more of a wind swell, but with that glassy surface, it’ll be fun for a grovel on a longboard. The energy is moderate (365). This is a small window for the patient surfer.

But the real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Thursday morning, August 6th. This is the big day. The swell pumps up to 10ft from the SW with a solid 14-second period, and the wind is offshore out of the WSW at 15 mph. The combined energy is charging at a massive 4587, and the report says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is a powerful, clean groundswell, but at 10ft, this is strictly for the crew with big-wave experience and the right equipment. Not a spot for the learners.

That afternoon on the 6th drops off to a 10ft swell with a shorter period (12 seconds) and a cross-offshore wind, still clean but a lot less powerful. The next morning, Friday, August 7th, the wind ruins it, blowing a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore, making the 8ft swell a lumpy mess.

The run of poor wind continues through the weekend, but we get another chance on Monday morning, August 10th. A 4ft SW swell with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SW. The wind is light, the energy is moderate (620), and the surf is clean. It’s a solid, shoulder-high option for a fun session.

Wednesday morning, August 12th is a sleeper. The swell is 6ft from the SSE with a short 9-second period, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the SW. The energy is strong (851) and the conditions are clean. Expect fun, punchy little waves.

The last real highlight is on Thursday afternoon, August 13th. The wind goes light out of the north (cross-offshore), the swell is 7ft from the SW with a short 8-second period, and the energy is strong (963). It’s clean and should offer some fun, punchy waves, though the short period means it might be a bit sectiony.

Outside of those windows, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, turning the moderate swells into choppy, poor surf. The long period swells (12-16 seconds) are a good sign for wave quality at a point break like Riet River, but the wind just doesn't cooperate most days.

So, lock in the big one on Thursday, August 6th for the experts, and keep an eye on Monday, August 10th and Wednesday, August 12th for the cleaner, more manageable sessions.

Rusty.

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