Riet River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. We've got a bit of a tease on our hands for Riet River over the next fortnight, but if you pick your moments, there's a proper gem waiting. This point break is a fickle one – it's inconsistent, but when it lines up, it's a beauty. The water temp’s sittin' about average for the time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

The forecast kicks off with a bit of a nothing burger this Saturday and Sunday. We've got swell, but the wind is all over the shop, making a mess of it. Saturday morning sees a 3ft S'ly swell with an 11-second interval, but a strong cross-offshore wind is just robbing it of any real quality. It's a write-off. Sunday's a bit of a non-event too, with a short, weak 6-second period on offer. We're lookin' at two days of cranky, poor conditions, so don't even bother.

Now, Monday the 31st of August is where it gets interesting. The wind drops right out – we're talking glassy conditions with a slight air. That's a major positive. The swell bumps up a touch to 5ft from the SW with a solid 11-second interval, and the combined energy is moderate to strong (507). It's forecast to be very good surf. This is the standout of the whole period. The S'ly wind early is a cross-off, which is exactly what this exposed point wants to see, and it's cleaning up the lines perfectly. Get amongst it, because this is the best it'll get for a while.

The rest of the first week and into the second is a frustrating story of swell and wind not playing nice. Tuesday the 1st of September has clean 5ft SW swell and a gentle breeze, but it's only rated as marginal. Wednesday the 2nd brings a bigger 8ft SW swell (strong energy at 2386) but it's onshore and blown out in the arvo, making it a no-go. This is expert-only territory anyway, and with the shit wind, it's a skip.

We then hit a long, dry spell of garbage conditions. From Thursday the 3rd right through to Friday the 11th of September, it's just poor surf day after poor surf day. The wind is relentless – strong cross-onshore, onshore, and even near gale-force gusts. The swell energy is there sometimes, but it's all messy and choppy. You'd be better off checking the kite surfers if you see this setup. There's a solid 17-second groundswell on the 6th, but it's tiny at 3ft and the rest of the window is blown out. Not worth the paddle.

Finally, on Saturday the 12th of September, we get a glimmer. A 7ft SW swell rolls in with a strong energy (1539) and a fresh cross-offshore wind. The morning session is clean, though the size is pushing into expert territory. It's only a marginal call, but it's the best we've seen in a week and a half. Sunday the 13th has a similar 7ft SSW swell with a light cross-on, which is a slight downgrade in quality, but the energy is still there (1618). These two days are your last chance to get a wave, but the quality isn't anywhere near that Monday morning perfection. If you're keen, go early on the Saturday.

Stay safe, keep an eye on that offshore wind, and don't sleep on that Monday the 31st.

Rusty

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