Rio Chico Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Rio Chico.

Right from the get-go, I gotta be straight with you: this 16-day stretch is a tough one for paddle surfing at Rio Chico. The whole run is plagued by onshore or cross-onshore winds, and the wave quality reports are consistently poor or marginal. You’ll see a lot of “poor surf conditions” in the logbook. The energy in the water is there – we’re looking at moderate wave energy readings around 527 (Sunday morning) down to a weak 86 later on – but the wind just butchers it. For a taste, the water temp is sitting at a very unusual 79°, which is a whopping 9° warmer than normal for this time of year. So you’ll be sweating in your wettie, but don’t expect any clean lines.

The first real chance, if you can call it that, is on Sunday the 16th of August. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the WSW at a 14-second period – that’s a long-period groundswell, which means it’ll have some push, but those long intervals can make beach breaks close out. At Rio Chico, a point break, it might wrap in okay. The problem? A cross-on SW breeze at 9 mph creating chop. The combined energy is 527 (moderate), but the forecast says marginal at best.

Honestly, the pick of a very sad bunch might be Tuesday the 18th of August in the morning. Swell drops to 3ft from the SW, but the period stretches to 15 seconds – a proper groundswell. The wind is lighter, directly onshore from the SW at 6 mph, but that’s still onshore. Energy is 450 (moderate). It’s still rated poor. This is the kind of day you sit and watch, hoping a set lines up cleanly through the chop.

After that, it’s a grim tide. From the 19th right through to the end of the month, every morning shows weak to moderate swells (1ft to 3ft) with periods that bounce around, but the wind never truly swings offshore to clean things up. There’s a brief uptick on Friday the 28th of August and Saturday the 29th of August, with the swell popping back up to 3ft (WSW) and the combined energy hitting 489 (moderate), but again, the wind stays cross-on or onshore. The crowd factor at Rio Chico is listed as “sometimes” busy, but with conditions this poor, it won’t be an issue.

The biggest standout in the whole window is the Friday the 28th of August morning session. Swell is 3ft from the WSW, period a solid 15 seconds, and the wind is a mere 3 mph from the SW – a slight air, barely a breeze. The energy jumps to 489 (moderate). It’s still a light cross-onshore, but that’s the closest we get to clean all month. For an advanced crew only, given the long period.

Bottom line: for the next two weeks, Rio Chico is a write-off for good paddle surfing. If you’re desperate, the 28th of August morning is your one shot. Otherwise, the consistent onshores make this look more interesting for a kite session than a traditional surf. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, it’s lean pickings. Rusty, out.

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