Ristorante or La Toscana Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the surf window for Ristorante (Big Island) over the next 16 days is looking pretty grim. We’re talking about a stretch where the ocean just doesn't have much to offer. From now through the end of the month, the swell is tiny—nothing over 2ft—and the periods are short, mostly 4 to 6 seconds, so even the little bumps that show up are gonna be weak and mushy.

The morning of the 15th kicks things off with a clean but tiny 0.7ft from the WNW, with just 1 unit of combined energy. It’s glassy with a light NE breeze, so if you’re a complete beginner and just want to sit on a board, it’s not horrible, but there’s no push. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it gets chopped up and pretty much unrideable.

We roll through the 16th and 17th with similar story—clean mornings but nothing doing. The 17th afternoon picks up a little cross-on breeze from the S at 12 mph, and the swell bumps to 1ft with a 4-second period. Total energy is just 6—super weak. Not worth paddling out for.

The 18th has a bit more activity but still poor. Morning is clean with a cross-off E wind, and there’s 2ft at 5 seconds from the WSW. Energy climbs to 19, which is still weak, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. There’s a risk of thunderstorms, so if you’re keen, get out early before the sky opens up. Afternoon though, it’s cross-on from the SSE and choppy.

The 19th and 20th drop back down to 0.7–1ft. The 20th morning is glassy, which is nice, but there’s just no power behind it. From the 21st through the 24th, it’s basically flat—0.3ft or nothing, with energy values of 1 to 3. A couple of clean mornings, but you’d be floating more than surfing.

Then we hit a dead zone from the 25th through the 28th. No swell at all—those dashes in the data mean zero waves. Just flat, clean water with light breezes. If you’ve got a longboard and want to practice paddling, go for it, but don't expect a wave.

The 29th and 30th tease with a little 0.3ft to 1ft bump from the SSW. The 30th morning has a 5-second period and energy of 12, which is the most we’ve seen in days, but it’s still marginal. Offshore NE winds keep it clean, but again, it’s tiny.

The standout here, if you can even call it that, is the morning of the 18th—2ft, 5-second period, clean offshore wind, and the highest energy of the period at 19. That’s your best bet, and even that is pretty weak. The 30th morning is a distant second with 1ft and a bit more period.

Water temp on the 15th is 81°, which is 7° warmer than the long-term average. That’s very unusual—like bathwater. You won’t need a wetsuit, just boardies and maybe a rashie.

Bottom line: this whole 16-day stretch is a write-off for real surfing. There’s no significant swell, the periods are short, and the energy is weak. Ristorante is a reef break, so it needs proper swell to work, and it just isn’t there. If you’re desperate, the 18th morning is your only real look, but manage expectations. For the rest, leave the board in the car and enjoy the clear skies.

This is Rusty, signing off. Keep the faith—it can’t stay flat forever.

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