Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s in store for Riet River over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a real mixed bag ahead, some proper gems and some wild, gnarly days you’ll want to watch from the beach.

Right off the bat, Monday the 24th of August isn't a total washout. We’ve got a clean 5 ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a 12-second period, and a light cross-off breeze. The water’s sitting at 63°, which is a solid 4° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll definitely feel that chill. The combined energy is moderate (722), but it’s clean enough for a session. This is an inconsistent point break, so you might have to wait for the sets, but when they come, they'll be worth it.

Tuesday the 25th is where it starts to get serious. We’re looking at a 5 ft SSW swell with a very long 16-second period and light cross-off winds again in the morning. The energy jumps to 2293, which is strong. This is proper groundswell, groomed by that offshore wind. For an experienced surfer, this is a great call. The swell direction (SSW) matches the break’s optimum. The afternoon gets a bit windier, so hit it early.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are a write-off. We’ve got strong onshore or cross-onshore winds, big messy swell up to 10 ft, and rain. The energy readings are off the charts for the wrong reasons. Don’t bother.

The First Standout: Friday the 28th of August.

After the blowout, we get a reward. Friday morning is glassy. Wind is basically non-existent, coming from the ENE at just 3 mph. The swell settles to a clean 5 ft from the south with an 11-second period, and the energy is a comfortable 599. This is clean, user-friendly surf. The glassy conditions will make it as smooth as butter. For a point break like Riet River, this is the pick of the first week. The water is still cold, so suit up.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th fizzle out. The swell drops, winds go onshore or cross-shore, and the energy tanks. By Sunday morning the swell is barely 1.0 ft and the energy is just 42. Not worth paddling out.

We then hit a pretty bleak run from Monday the 31st of August through most of the first week of September. Gale-force winds, heavy rain, and blown-out conditions dominate. There’s a massive 16 ft+ SSW swell forecast for Thursday the 3rd of September and Friday the 4th of September, but the winds are howling. Thursday has a gale-force offshore at 40 mph. Wave energy hits 13552 on Thursday afternoon. That’s dangerous, not fun.

The Major Standout: Friday the 4th of September.

Here’s the one that’s worth circling on the calendar. Friday morning the 4th of September is something else. A massive 18 ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, but here’s the trick – the wind swings light offshore from the west at just 6 mph. The combined energy is an eye-watering 12580. This is exceptional, heavy-duty groundswell. The period is long, which suits a point break like this perfectly for those long, grinding walls. This is for experts only. If you know what you’re doing and you’ve got a big-wave gun, this is a date with destiny. The water will be moving, the paddle out will be an ordeal, but the waves will be world-class. After that, the weekend gets windy again, and the energy drops off through the second week, mainly offering marginal or poor conditions with onshore wind and rain from the 7th of September onwards.

So to wrap it up: you’ve got a clean, glassy Friday morning session on the 28th for some nice 5 ft waves, and then that massive, once-in-a-blue-moon window on Friday the 4th of September for the big dogs. The rest is mostly wind, rain, or flat spells. Keep an eye on that Friday the 4th, it could be one for the books.

Rusty.

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