Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.

We’ve got one spot on the radar for this 16-day run: Riet River. It’s a point break, and it’s an inconsistent one, so when it fires, you’ve got to be on it. The water is sitting at 62°F right now, which is a full 6°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a serious chill, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit.

The week kicks off with a tiny, clean pulse on Monday morning. We’re looking at a weak 3ft swell from the SE with an 11-second period, but the combined energy is only 320 – that’s weak. The wind is light offshore from the W, so it’ll be glassy, but you’ll be fighting for scraps. By Monday afternoon, a better 4ft SW swell pushes in, energy jumps to 620 (moderate), but the wind goes onshore from the ENE. It’s a bit of a mixed bag.

Tuesday sees the swell building to 5ft-5ft from the SW, with a solid 12-13 second period. The energy is moderate to strong (662-715). The wind is cross-offshore from the WSW, keeping things reasonably clean. Tuesday afternoon actually looks like the best of the early week – clean, building waves, and that longer period means proper groundswell lines.

Wednesday is bigger, with the swell hitting 6ft to 7ft, energy climbing into the strong range (926-1591). But the wind is up, with a fresh breeze from the WSW, so it’ll be bumpy and tricky. Not the pick.

Now, here’s the standout. Thursday, July 10th, Friday morning. This is the one to circle. The swell pumps to 10ft-12ft from the SSW, with a very long 14-second period, and the combined energy goes nuclear at 4014 (very strong). The wind on Friday morning is barely a whisper from the WSW, cross-offshore, and it’s clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers only – 12ft is big, heavy, and powerful. This point will be handling that long-period energy beautifully, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The crowds at Riet River can be around sometimes, but with this size, only the dedicated crew will be out.

After that peak, the swell drops back through the weekend, but the wind gets messy. Saturday morning is a write-off with a risk of thunderstorms and onshore wind. Sunday and Monday of the following week (July 13th-14th) offer another solid pulse of 8ft-10ft from the SE, with good offshore wind. The energy is still strong (around 2000). That Tuesday morning, July 14th, with a light W offshore wind and clean 8ft surf, is a solid secondary call.

The last week of the window (July 17th onwards) fades out. There’s a glimmer on Friday, July 17th morning with a 8ft SSW swell, 12-second period, and light cross-offshore wind – that’s clean and rideable. But from Saturday, July 18th, it drops off into a few days of poor, onshore junk. The final few days of the 16-day run are flat and weak, with energy below 400 and onshore winds.

So, the bottom line: Friday morning, July 10th is the absolute standout – big, clean, long-period groundswell for experts only. Tuesday, July 14th morning is a solid backup for the strong intermediate crew. Get on it or miss out.

Rusty.

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