Rio Chico Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet start here at Rio Chico (point). The water is a balmy 78°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s about 8° above average, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home. For the first few days, right through the end of August, the surf is tiny and the conditions are just poor. We’re talking weak, knee-high slop with a cross-onshore wind messing things up. The combined swell energy is low, sitting around 157 to 217 (units) through the weekend, and it’s just not worth paddling out for. There’s a real gap here with nothing to recommend.

Things start to look a little more promising towards the end of the first week. On Friday morning, August 28th, we see the swell nudge up to 3 ft from the WSW, with a period of 18 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, perfect for this point break. The combined energy jumps to 611 (units), and the wind is light – just a light cross-onshore breeze, so it’ll be a bit rippled but still rideable. By Friday afternoon, the swell hits 4 ft from the SW, and the energy is up to 814 (units). The wind turns onshore, but it’s light. This is the first real window of opportunity, but the forecast calls it marginal, so don’t expect perfection.

The real standout, the one that’s got my attention, is coming up on Thursday, September 3rd. The morning brings a 4 ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 20 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 1124 (units) – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is onshore but light, so it should be glassy. This is a classic point-break swell: long lines, plenty of power. By the afternoon, it builds to 4 ft from the WSW, with energy at 1337 (units) and a light cross-onshore breeze. This is the best on offer in the whole 16-day window, and it’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it. The size is right for advanced surfers, not too big, not too small.

Into Friday, September 4th, the swell peaks at 5 ft from the SW in the morning, with a combined energy of 1450 (units) – that’s strong. The wind is light and cross-onshore. This is getting into the ‘experts only’ zone for a beach break, but here at Rio Chico, a long period groundswell like this (17 seconds) will wrap nicely around the point. The afternoon drops to 5 ft, still solid. After that, the swell fades through the weekend, dropping back to 3 ft by Sunday, September 6th.

So, the best call is the 3rd of September. The swell direction is spot-on, the period is long, the energy is strong, and the wind is light. It’s not a perfect clean forecast, but it’s the best we’ve got. Don’t get too excited about the early stuff; wait for that Thurs-Fri window.

Rusty.

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